


Nathaniel and/or Chloe: A Choose Your Chlonath Story

by findmeinthevoid



Series: CYC [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Anyways, At least I tried, Guess Who's Back, I'll stop tagging now, IT'S ME, Oh, Other, SEASON 2 SPOILERS WILL BE PRESENT, Well - Freeform, You Have Been Warned, a choose your path story, also, and some not-spoilers, cause i'm a lazy bum writer who has no ideas, even tho it prolly sucks, idek whee im going with this, just give it a chance, somebody teach me how to tag plz, they'll probably be debunked, yep, you get to pick!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 90,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findmeinthevoid/pseuds/findmeinthevoid
Summary: A story written by readers for lack of a creative authorJust give it a chance





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Chlonath/not-Chlonath story depending on what comments I get. It'll either end up being complete crack or make a relative amount of sense. If anyone comments, that is. Just give it a shot.
> 
> Kudos are gold and comments are diamonds!

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe's day started well enough. She woke up at 5am to give herself adequate time for her mandatory daily routine of makeup, getting dressed, and fixing her hair, among other things. She put on a luxury face mask that probably cost more than an average teenager's entire bedroom's worth, scrolling through various articles online while she waited for the mask to work its magic; articles about fashion, celebrities, and, the most promising out of the infinite number of nonsensical columns featuring ridiculous trends and viral memes, tips on 'getting the guys'. As if she needed advice on that. Chloe was perfect from every possible angle, so why should she ever have to refer to an article written by a lowly  _commoner_ , of all people. Either way, it was a half-interesting way to spend 30 minutes before she could take the mask off and shower.

Not wanting to eat breakfast after putting her makeup on at the risk of spoiling an hour's worth of work, Chloe downed a diet smoothie and a small organic fruit salad that would maintain her ideal build. Now that breakfast was done, she had less than 3 hours before she had to go to school. Just enough time to make herself even more flawless than she already was for her dear Adrikins.

An hour and a half later, Chloe was applying the finishing touches to her face before she started on her hair. The blonde rummaged around her shelf of top-of-the-line hair care products, trying to determine which would produce the most effective results in the limited time span she had left. She pulled out her extensive collection of hair adornments when her gaze fell upon a foreign object among the array of versatile accessories.

_Since when had she bought a comb?_

 

**Now it's your turn to decide! Does Chloe give attention to the comb, ignore it, or do you want a surprise? If you have another direction you want me to take it, tell me!**

**Let me know in the comments!**

 

 

*******

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel was not having a great day. He'd overslept, skipped breakfast, arrived late to school, and now his least favorite teacher gave them a pop quiz on his worst subject. Perfect. He had fallen asleep at close to 3 in the morning, been yelled at for waking up late, run to school on an empty stomach, been yelled at  _again_ for being late to class, and now he had to prepare himself for more yelling once he flunked this quiz. The artist longed for his sketchbook, yearning to draw his stress away as the blank sheet filled with pencil marks, but, alas, the only blank spaces he'd be filling were these cursed lines of incomplete Physics theories.

Knowing full well his page would be completely devoid of any response by the time Mme Mendeleiev came around to pick the papers up, he chose to stare out the window instead. The girl to his right was hunched over her sheet, scrawling detailed answers that would probably earn her well over a perfect score and give the Science teacher yet  _another_ reason to tell him off for his pitiful average, but her long hair fell in the way of her answers so Nathaniel had no chance of snagging a couple of marks from there. A few minutes passed of searching his mind in vain for a considerable answer, and he continued to bore a hole into glass on the far right of the classroom as if it would give him some kind of clue. It was funny how his near-photographic memory conveniently forgot to retain passages from textbooks, but could present an exact replication of objects and scenes. The window was still resolutely refusing him answers.

The redhead sighed and turned back to his paper with the intent of producing a wild guess at how the particle theory affected daily life, but he need not have. At that very moment, the entire window shattered and somebody outside screamed.

 

**Decision time! Does the class go home and hide, does Mme Mendeleiev force them to stay and finish the quiz, or do you want a surprise? Or, if you want it another way, just let me know.**

**Again, responses and reviews are always appreciated!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? Did you like it, did you think it was completely awful, or was it okay? Constructive criticism is welcome, not hate.
> 
> Also, it's your choice if you want me to continue with Chloe, Nathaniel, or both in the next chapter. They could be completely separate or the two could merge. It doesn't even have to be Chlonath! The point of this is that YOU get to choose what happens next.


	2. Nathaniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wanted the class to go home and hide, so I deliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to do the next Chloe chapter when I get more comments so I have a clear majority (I hope). If nobody else comments I'll just do whichever has more votes currently.
> 
> However, the comments I have in terms of Nathaniel's side of the story as of now were unanimously in favor of letting the class go, so here y'are.

**NATHANIEL**

 

The class jumped out of their seats at the shrill sound, those on the right side of the room dashed for the opposite wall to dodge the million bits of smashed glass that were sailing through the air. Mme Mendeleiev immediately took charge.

"Everyone, leave your papers where they are and get someplace safe. NOW!" she commanded, already familiar with the basic evacuation procedure for whenever there was another akuma attack. "And make sure to study the diagram on page 394," she added. "I'll be quizzing you on it sometime next week. Now GO!"

Nathaniel couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief after the announcement of another one of the science teacher's impossible surprise tests. Diagrams were the one thing he could actually remember. The redhead had always been a visual learner. However, he wasted no time in joining his fellow classmates out the door as the telltale sounds of Hawk Moth's latest supervillain grew closer. He could hear cars smashing and people running around screaming as Mme Mendeleiev escorted them outside.

The artist sprinted through the hallway and was halfway down the stairs when he heard a shriek from behind him. He whipped around, only to see that the foreign exchange student with whom he had been sharing his desk for the past month or so had tripped on one of her absurdly high heeled shoes. Consequently, she became the new target of the distinctly drab costumed baddie. And he was advancing towards both the teenagers.

 

**Your choice - does Nathaniel:**

**a) help Lila**

**b) ditch Lila**

**or**

**c) **********

**?**

**And leave a comment if you enjoyed!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, the asterisks are the surprise option. I'm glad people are enjoying this so far, and I hope I can keep up the motivation to keep writing. Your comments are always so encouraging! Thank you! ^W^


	3. Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wanted Chloe to pay attention to the comb, well, she might as well be a security check officer with how much she inspects it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you all are enjoying this! It means a lot to me and really boosts my motivation, so thank you!
> 
> I'm also hoping to update at regular-ish intervals, but leave a break in between each chapter so y'all have a chance to comment your choice.
> 
> Now, without further ado, here's the chapter!

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe spent a long time staring at the comb. It was pretty, no doubt, and must have cost quite a lot  _if_ it wasn't so old-fashioned. The embellishments were painstakingly hand-crafted and it looked like some kind of family heirloom, save for the fact it was made of bronze rather than solid gold. At first glance the mayor's daughter reasoned that it must have been one of Sabrina's accessories - she often forgot items among Chloe's far larger and more varied collection, an ungracious response to the blonde's unselfish generosity. However, as modest as the comb looked, she doubted Sabrina would be able to afford it. So what should she do with it? She could add it to her own store, though it wouldn't complement anything in her wardrobe. She could give it to Sabrina, as a token of their friendship, but a part of wanted to keep it herself.

 If only the object had been a brighter shade, it could have set off her signature yellow-and-black theme rather nicely. She was just about to check in her closet if she had anything that wouldn't clash too badly, when she heard a deafening  _pop_ _!_ and a flood of blinding yellow light flashed in her eyes. The girl blinked her eyes a few times to get the spots out of her peripheral vision, when she realized the light really  _had_ blinded her. Hovering between Chloe and the mirror was what looked like a cross between a bee and a hamster. A giant floating bee-hamster.

 Chloe screamed. She screamed so loud and so long that every single occupant of the hotel would have thought there was murder happening behind those soundproof walls, until the little creature wisely grabbed of one the blonde's designer scarves and held it over her mouth until the screaming stopped. By the time Chloe finally quieted down, her face was red from lack of oxygen and her eyes were about six times the size they usually were, and they were already oversized to begin with. When the girl was able to breathe again, the bee-thing hurried to start before her chosen decided to open her mouth again. Over 5000 years old and her ears weren't getting any better.

"Hello!" the bee/hamster/demon/whatever the thing was greeted cheerfully. "I know you've got a few issues right now, but I'm here to fix that! I'm Pollen, your new kwami and I'm going to help you-"

Whatever Pollen was going to say was cut off as Chloe made a strangled sort of sound at the mention of having issues, turning red with fury. How dare she be accused of having problems, by a mere non-human, of all beings. Who did the little bee think she  _was_?! Who the hell was she to tell Chloe off for what she did?! Nobody, that's who. And Chloe didn't let nobodies degrade her and get away with it.

"Look, _Polly_. I don't know who you are or what you want," Chloe spat. "But I'm the _mayor_ 's daughter and you don't talk like that to the mayor's daughter. Got it? You gotta have a little respect for others if you want to ever be anything more than a petty bit of scum to important people. Now, I'm going to be very late to school if I don't hurry up and get ready soon, so please do me a favor a shut that little buzzer of yours while I attend to my hair." She flipped her locks for emphasis and turned pointedly away from the kwami.

 

**We all know that Chloe's behavior is way out of check, but how should Pollen react to her new holder's rude attitude?**

**a) Let her off but once she's at school, take all her accessories and the like, and throw it away**

**b) Tell her off right then and there**

**c) Give up**

**d) Unleash her inner evil genius and devise a mastermind plan to make Chloe lose all her dignity and get what she deserves**

**e) Other, please let me know in the comments!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I was kind of out of it while writing this chapter since I've been a little distracted with other things, so this chapter wasn't as good as I could have made it.
> 
> I'm hoping I can do regular updates, but I have absolutely no idea what these coming weeks are going to be like, so once I've got my schedule more or less set up I'll let you know.
> 
> And, of course, comment if you enjoyed!


	4. Nathaniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was kind of torn, so I'll give you a surprise ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, two chapters in one day! It's a weekend, though, so that's probably expectable.
> 
> Thank you all for your amazing comments, you have no idea how happy they make me!
> 
> Also, I got mixed comments for where I should take this part, so I decided to make it a surprise

** NATHANIEL **

 

Nathaniel finally elected to help Lila up, though he shouldn't have bothered, since the monster caught up with them anyways. Curse girls and their ridiculous shoes.

"I am Kleptomaniac," the surprisingly uncolorful villain announced. He was dressed like a burglar, which probably made sense given his name. "And everything is MINE!!! Your friends, your electronics, your shoes, EVERYTHING!!!"

He reached out to grab at the two teens, missing Lila's jewellery but succeeding in taking her messenger bag, which was filled with, as expected, a variety of high-end makeup products.  _Girls and their priorities_ , the redhead sighed, grabbing her hand and intending to make a run for it, but not before Kleptomaniac lunged for his own shoulder bag. Nathaniel tried to snatch it back, but the supervillain had already opened it and was now inspecting its contents.

"Oooh, how interesting. Yes, very colorful, colorful indeed," he murmured to himself as he analyzed Nathaniel's art supplies. "Yes, I think I like these. I'll keep them."

Nathaniel finally seized his now-empty bag, his sketchbook falling out onto the ground. He tried to save that, too, but the thief beat him to it, grasping him by the neck in the air.

"Oh, no," he smiled wickedly. "Finders keepers, losers weepers. Say goodbye to your precious little pencils, now they're MINE!!!" However, he was unable to add the sketchbook to his already bulging sack of looted goods, because at that very moment, the last person to exit the classroom arrived.

Mme Mendeleiev dashed to the two collègiens and tore off her omnipresent lab coat and threw it aside, revealing some serious muscles and a determined expression.

"HANDS OFF MY STUDENTS!!!", she ordered, flexing her arms which were surprisingly buff under that white lab coat she never took off. Nathaniel and Lila watched with growing suspense as the two adults before them squared off for a fight.

 

**Oh, yeah, the science teacher is ripped, peeps. Anyways, what happens next?**

**a) FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!**

**b) Run away, Nath and Lila! Run far, far away!**

**c) Anticlimactic surrender**

**d) Other, let me know in the comments!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How can you explain the fact that the lady held a teenaged boy in the air by his COLLAR?! Either he's ultra-light, or the teacher is shredded, and I honestly prefer the shredded teacher. I will fight you.
> 
> Also, go ahead and rant all you want; I'll be calmly sitting at my writing desk sipping hot chocolate as you complain. I do it myself, so I can't really blame you.
> 
> Again, thank you for all your lovely comments. I love you all so much ;)


	5. Nathaniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You want fight, I give you fight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I just wanted to let you know in advance that this chapter is WAY longer than the others, and it totally went out of control. I wrote it while I was probably half asleep, and I'm sorry it took so long. 
> 
> I also hope I can figure out the next Chloe chapter soon, sorry for the wait.
> 
> And thank you all so much for your amazing and encouraging comments. I love y'all ;)
> 
> Also, special thanks to Cherisher for helping me with this chapter!

**NATHANIEL**

 

***cue in The Final Countdown by Europe***

 

Nathaniel and Lila stared wide-eyed, waiting for either side to make a move. Kleptomaniac sized his opponent up, while the experienced Mme Mendeleiev studied the villain with an expert eye, scanning for weak spots. Nobody knew, but the teacher had taken wrestling as an extracurricular back when she was in high school, through until university when she dropped the activity in favor of a teaching degree. She still maintained her muscles even after that, training whenever she found a break between marking assignments and teaching.

And the training was going to pay off well, she thought. The villain before her might have superpowers coupled with the typical akuma tendency to be slightly mentally unstable, but she had two decades of hardcore training under her belt. Or lab coat, for that matter. Either way, Kleptomaniac didn’t stand a chance.

Kleptomaniac thought otherwise. He’d lived on the streets for as long as he could remember, living off of picked pockets and well-planned robberies. The woman who dared to oppose him was hardly competition. Sure, she had muscles, but he had plenty of experience with distracting bulky security guards twice his size and pinning them down while their back was turned. With his crowbar and elevated-stealth abilities, he reasoned he could beat the woman fairly easily. Besides, did she really think she could fight him in those six-inch stilettos? It was almost laughable. He quickly stopped the thought there, however, for the risk of losing his very serious and very intimidated fighting stance.

The kleptomaniac villain smiled mischievously as he shook the stolen items in his hands. "You want me to give these back, Mademoiselle? You're going to have to take them off me."

"Exactly what I plan to do." Mme Mendeleiev clenched every muscle into peak efficiency and beckoned the villain over mockingly, "You're pretty confident for a despicable fiend."

"Fight me." He dropped the sack of taken items on the floor beside him and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Nathaniel and Lila quietly dashed to the end of the hallway to watch the scene unfold from around the corner of the corridor. They wanted to see this fight play out but wanted to be well away from it when all hell broke loose.

“I’ll bet ten euros that Mendeleiev is going to kick his ass,” Lila whispered to Nathaniel. “I think that’s pretty obvious,” Nathaniel whispered back, eyes still trained on the topic of discussion, waiting for the real action.

The villain lunged forward with his arms shooting forward like arrows through the air. Mme Mendeleiev dived out of the way of the piercing missiles just in time before the flying appendages lodged themselves into the backboard, smashing the basketball hoop and giving off a distinctly disturbing impression of something that looked like a scene out of a horror movie. The dodging and jumping out of the way gradually moved the two down the hallway, now just in front of the stairs. One wrong move and they could tip over and say ‘bonjour!’ to the courtyard below.

From where they were positioned, Lila and Nathaniel were trapped on the upper floor with the two brawling adults. The only way down was to jump, and Nathaniel sure as hell wasn’t going to try _that_. Mme Mendeleiev was distracting the villain all well and good, but he was standing in front of their only exit. Their teacher either had to knock him out and throw him over the railing, run away and hope he followed, or give herself up if Nathaniel and Lila were going to get away safely.

Mendeleiev kicked herself off the ground, flying towards the villain who had conveniently grown another pair of limbs to replace the ones stuck in the basketball backboard. She landed blow after blow into his back as she laid an onslaught of quick rabbit punches, pinning him to the one thing that separated them from standing straight and falling off the edge. The villain pulled his arms out from behind him and knocked the teacher away, laughing aloud as she was thrown to the floor.

Mme Mendeleiev hurriedly picked herself up and braced for the incoming attack.  The villain charged towards the teacher, arms ready to grasp his opponent in a chokehold. Steadying herself, she braced for the impact of the charge. Wrapping her arms around his torso, the tall, buff woman used his momentum against him and pulled the villain over her head with a mighty heave. By lifting bulky criminal into the air and slamming him down on the ground, the teacher had succeeded in taking down the Kleptomaniac.  The villain grabbed at the air, trying his best to push himself out from beneath the buff teacher as she slammed her weight down on him, forcing him to the ground. However, he managed to reach down and around to grab at her high heels, distracting her enough to switch their position. The teacher was now underneath, and with her arms pinned to her sides by his crowbar and the breath knocked out of her by the weight on her chest. She turned her head in search of a possible escape.

It was at this moment that she finally noticed the two students who had been watching this whole scene play out with fascination and all but screamed at the two awestruck students, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! A RED CARPET?! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nath and Lila didn’t need to be told twice. Grabbing their possessions the thief had dropped mid-battle, they sprinted down the stairs and out the door, intent on getting as far away as possible from the dangerous burglar and the considerably-more-dangerous teacher who probably would have taught them a similar lesson if they didn’t get away.

Back in the corridor, now in the doorway of Mme Mendeleiev’s own classroom, the two adults were resuming their fight. She backed into the room, eyes focused on her opponent’s every move. This was her turf, and she intended to dominate it. The villain seemed to read her mind, however, and followed her further into the room until she was trapped between him and her own desk. She scanned the room for anything she could use, any sort of leverage to get out of here, when help finally arrived. About time, too.

Ladybug and Chat Noir leapt in through what used to be a glass pane and reached the adults. The akuma’s attention was immediately diverted, and Mme Mendeleiev took the opportunity to push him away, grab the lab support stand the young superheroine’s yoyo had produced, and smash it on the villain’s head, knocking him out cold. Ladybug quickly grabbed his crowbar and snapped it as if it were a Pocky stick, releasing the corrupted insect inside. A few moments later, a pure white butterfly emerge from her yoyo and flew off, dodging the metal object that had just been thrown into the air, as a population of little ladybugs flurried around repairing all the damage.

Nathaniel and Lila sighed in relief as the demolished billboard they were using as shelter magically went back to where it belonged. Nathaniel picked up his bag, which was once again filled with his drawing supplies, and got up to leave, when Lila stopped him.

 

**What does Lila want?**

**a) To ask him out on a date**

**b) To ask him if he wants to study together**

**c) To give him a pencil he accidentally dropped on the ground**

**d) Other, let me know in the comments!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this was not one of my best chapters, so I'm very sorry for that. I know I was rushing by the end, but I had to find a way to wrap it up.
> 
> On a side note, is anyone interested in being a beta? I'm having a bit of trouble finding one....


	6. Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What I present when I'm out of inspiration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really put off writing this for a little while because I honestly had zero inspiration as to where I wanted to take this....so let's see where it goes when I turn on autopilot :)
> 
> Also, I love your amazing comments :)

** CHLOE **

 

Chloe's day had gone from usual, to bad, to worse, and the morning wasn't even over yet. All thanks to this irrational flying, talking,  _thing_ that had absolutely  _no_ chill.

"Look, young lady. You might get away with all that stuff with other people, but not me!" the little bee continued her incessant ranting while Chloe calmly tuned her out, waiting for the creature to finish so she could have her hairbrush back. She checked the ornate clock on the wall.  _8:15_. If she hurried, she might make it to class before roll call.

"And if you're ever going to be a worthy superheroine and fight beside Ladybug and Chat Noir, you're going to have to make some changes!"  _Yeah, yeah, yeah,_ Chloe thought, not paying attention to a word coming out of the kwami's mouth.  _Wait_. Chloe paused for a moment as she took in those last few words. She snapped back to attention.

"Did you just say Ladybug? I get to fight with _Ladybug_?!" The girl's eyes lit up with excitement. "OMG, YES!!! We are  _so_ going to be best friends now..." Pollen sighed and rolled her eyes as Chloe went rambling about what she and the red-and-black clad superheroine were going to do and how amazing it would be, blah, blah, blah. This girl was impossible. The bee floated back in front of her and cut her off, mid-sentence.

" _Yes_ , I admit you were among the few chosen by the Great Guardian to protect the Ladybug and Cat miraculous, against all reasonable judgement," she added in an undertone. "But first, you need to prove that you are _worthy_ of that position. Being a hero of Paris is no joke, and if you want to be a role model for others to look up to and admire, you have to establish those characteristics in yourself first. And judging by the way you've been treating the people around you lately, you have a lot to improve. That's why I'm here." Pollen finished with a warm smile, silently thankful the blonde was finally listening and showing signs of interest.

Chloe stared at her for a few moments, processing the information she had just been given. She was perfect already, wasn't she? She didn't need any changes; people already admired her. Now that she actually thought about it, though, she had noticed less people paying attention to her at school, especially now that  _Lila_ had arrived and hypnotized everyone into being her best friend. In fact, the only person who  _didn't_ seem awed by her fantastic stories was that Maritrash, who didn't seem to suck up to her like everyone else, but seemed to be trying to cautiously befriend her. The only reason Chloe knew this was because she had been watching everyone around the Italian girl to try and figure out why they were attracted to her like a magnet. Even Sabrina, who vowed to stay by Chloe's side no matter what, was spending an alarming amount of time with the foreign exchange student.

Maybe a supersona was what she needed to gain her popularity and her dignity back. And if this so-called 'kwami' was telling the truth, and she really could become one of Ladybug's esteemed teammates, then maybe putting some effort into changing her attitude wouldn't be so difficult....only until the kwami agreed to teach her how to be a superheroine, of course.

"Okay," Chloe agreed. "Teach me how to be a superhero."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through this chapter and inspiration finally decided to pay me a long-awaited visit :)
> 
> No options for this chapter since the next part is already planned out


	7. Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :D

**CHLOE**

 

Looking back at that morning when she finally collapsed onto her plush queen sized bed at the end of probably the most exhausting Friday in history, Chloe had not expected how much she would be signing up for. Pollen had kept the girl home that entire first day, insisting that she shouldn't be around people until she could mind her attitude. After a great deal of pride-swallowing and practicing in front of the mirror as per the kwami's relentless directions, Chloe had managed to scare off two of the hotel maids with her unusually respectful behavior by the end of that day alone. Her personal butler was also very much shaken, but maintained a steady front as he attempted to respond to this newfound graciousness that up until that point he had not been aware Chloe was capable of.

The second day, Pollen had allowed her to get ready and go to school, but not before reminding her to watch the way she dealt with people. The hotel staff had recovered somewhat from the initial shock, but were still surprised nonetheless that Chloe was able to act like a normal girl for more than 24 hours. The real challenge was when Chloe got to school.

Her immediate impulse to the group of commoners, more and more joining Lila's group as she made her way around to fill their ears with sweet nothings, was to insult each every one of them with her trademark sass and well-timed comebacks. Instead, she bit her tongue to keep from making much-needed remarks about the pitiful fashion sense of this population, and went straight to the classroom. It took an incredible amount of self-restraint, but she somehow survived until she got home without taunting more than five people. It was impossible to hold her tongue when Lila was standing that close to her _Adri-chou_. And Maritrash had it coming when she tripped the mayor's daughter leaving class. Still, it was an impressive record.

The third day was again, insanely difficult, but she got through. She nearly lost it by the fourth day, throwing a fit and ending six people in detention and four others with severe warnings. And Friday was nothing short of  _awful_.

Of course there had to be another ridiculous akuma in the middle of a science test. Mme Mendeleiev nearly caught Sabrina transferring her own answers to the blonde's sheet, and when the window broke, it nearly hit her flawless face which would have looked hideous with all those scars. Worse still, after Pollen adamantly refused to transform her, deeming her not yet ready, Ladybug and Chat Noir were joined by two more new vigilantes. Carapace was more or less instantly welcomed to the duo, and although Ladybug seemed wary of the fox-themed superheroine, she accepted the girl as well before any more time was spent and more and of Paris was destroyed. Rena Rouge clearly had the same intention as Chloe - to become Ladybug's best friend before anything else, and the first thing she did was snap a selfie of the two before Ladybug reminded them of the impending villain. Chloe couldn't help but feel jealous,  _she_ should have been the one in the selfie with Ladybug,  _she_ should be the one heading off in the opposite direction per the bug-themed hero's instructions. And now she had missed her opportunity all because this little  _bee_ wouldn't let her transform.

By the time the pink light flooded through the city, giving the all-clear that the akuma had been defeated, Chloe was still sour about her kwami's unyieldingness. She stomped back to the hotel in a most mature and ladylike manner, arms crossed tightly and gripping her handbag so hard the handle was sure to break. Her legs hurt from running away from the villain, who seemed to have taken an interest in her expensive possessions, and now she had to get all the way back without a ride for the most part. Her mood didn't improve much when she saw Lila, of all people, receiving special treatment and being  _carried_ back to the school on the back of that wimpy redhead who usually sat in the back of the classroom, doodling for all his miserable life was worth. That was the limit.

Chloe marched over, just behind the Italian girl whose weight was surely crushing the thin boy supporting her. She snuck right up behind her, and yanked on the girl's ridiculously long hair as hard as she could.


	8. Nathaniel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go a bit differently than what you guys chose :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I finally managed to merge the two storylines together! Woot woot!

**NATHANIEL**

 

Lila put her hands on her hips. "Carry me," she demanded.

Nathaniel stared at her. "I said 'carry me'," the brunette repeated. "Are you deaf? I've been running in these heels for _three kilometres_ , and my feet are just  _aching_ ," she complained in that irritating voice of hers. "So carry me back to the school so I can get my stuff back from that weird psycho guy." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and moved forward, obviously expecting him to do as she had just instructed.

Which is how he ended up with a crippling weight on his shoulders that would not stop fidgeting and was constantly asking him to stop shaking so much or why he was moving so slowly. Nathaniel was sure that any other person would not able to hold their balance for this long with such a heavy weight on their back. It wasn't even that the girl herself was heavy, but the fact that Nathaniel was thin by average standards, coupled with the fact that girls carried an entire Sephora in their bags with them at all times, because of course, you have to look flawless in the middle of a deadly supervillain attack, he just couldn't keep her up for very long.

So naturally, when lovely young Miss Bourgeois chose to come up behind him at that very moment and send the girl on his back screeching and toppling over, he fell down too. Of course, Lila grabbing his neck to keep from falling off contributed to that as well. The three of them ended up in a tangle of limbs and a great deal of unnecessary noise coming from the girls as they made use of a rather colorful vocabulary which would certainly end them in the infamous principal's office had they been at school at the moment. Nathaniel finally escaped from the mess that was two teenage girls who were either too tangled to separate, or too intent on causing the other as much pain as possible that they were simply stuck. The artist tried his best to pull the two apart, but when he finally achieved to get Lila to her feet (Chloe later told him off for not helping the one who actually deserved help first), she immediately charged for the blonde.

Nathaniel had not counted on witnessing two fights in less than an hour of one another. Just your average day at Collège Françoise Dupont. While the earlier fight had been more of what he saw in his comic books, action-packed, lots of physical contact and punches, this one was entirely different. Chloe and Lila chose to aim for one another's hair rather than usual weak points, smacking each other with their handbags which Nathaniel would imagine was painful considering the number of solid objects they contained. There was also a lot more shrieking than the boy would have liked, every brush of jewellery against skin or embellishment caught on a lock of hair triggered a shrill cry from either female, and the overall result was a sound that resembled nails on a chalkboard. Either way, it was not a pleasant sensation for his ears.

He was thankful when the fighting finally came to an abrupt stop, as a well-timed blow courtesy of Lila's messenger bag against Chloe's designer purse sent a small metallic object flying from the latter. It was a mere blur of bronze as it sailed past them, and Nathaniel doubted Chloe would have paid much attention to such a small, seemingly cheap object that could probably be easily replaced if it were lost or scratched by the fall, but what he had not expected was for Chloe to let out a shout as if she had been the one hitting the ground, not that piece of jewellery, whatever it was.

Chloe ran for it, catching it just before it made contact with the concrete, immediately analyzing it for any visible damage. Leave it to Chloe to put more importance on jewellery than a human being. Nathaniel could just make out the outline of it as Chloe inspected it, and it seemed like a fine piece of handiwork, but not something the heiress would deem valuable.

"Hey, can I see that," asked, wanting to see the details so he could sketch it later. Chloe looked repelled at him for a moment, before she whipped it out of sight. He thought he saw a trace of panic on her face, but when he dared look again a moment later, he convinced himself it was just him. 

"And get your dirty fingerprints on it," she waved his hand away. "Of course not." The girl quickly put it back in her bag, preventing the redhead from sneaking another glance for the sketch that was already forming in his head, and snapped the bag shut. She looked up at them both, Lila was preparing for another round of cat fight.

"Well, I'll be off then. I have better things to do with my time than loiter with peasants." She emphasized the last word and demonstrated her point by getting into the limousine that had conveniently appeared for her at that moment, and sped off as quickly as it had come. Nathaniel and Lila followed it's example, heading off in different directions towards their respective homes. 

It was only later at night, sitting at his desk and finally preserving the image of the comb on paper, did the artist notice the distinct bee-like pattern echoed in the accessory's design. It was pretty, he reasoned. Maybe that's why Chloe liked it so much.

 

***

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

**CHLOE**

 

" _Pretty please_? It's been two weeks and I've been a good girl, just like you told me to," Chloe begged the kwami, unable to handle it when Rena Rouge posted yet another a picture on Twitter featuring her and the red-and-black superheroine, which had been liked by Ladybug herself. "I even said sorry to Max after I broke his calculator, even though everyone stared at me after. I didn't make fun of Rose's ridiculous new perfume, I didn't unfriend Sabrina when she got four questions wrong on my math homework, I didn't even trip Maritrash when she was late to school again, even though she totally had it coming when she invited everyone to her birthday party _except_ me. See, I am a good person!" Chloe was desperate at this point to do anything to be able to get closer to Ladybug before that stupid fox made her off-limits for good.

"Yes, but you insulted Nathaniel's drawing because he drew all four superheroes together and you clearly can't stand one of them. _And_ you told Juleka her hair looked ridiculous when she dyed it pink instead of purple because Rose wanted her to," Pollen reminded her. Chloe sighed.

"Fine, I'll be nicer to them tomorrow. But please, please, _please_ can't you just let me just this once?" Chloe pleaded.

Pollen mulled it over. On one hand, Chloe had improved  _drastically_ since their first meeting, and based on the girl's history, there was a high chance that she would give up and revert to her old ways if she didn't get what she wanted soon. On the other hand, Chloe was likely to abuse her new powers, and might revert to her old ways  _anyways_ once Pollen told her all she needed to know was some special words. Pollen flew around for a while, considering and weighing out the options, which would both either succeed greatly or fail miserably. She finally made her choice.

 

 **Well, I sort of lied there^. Pollen makes her choice, but that choice is really up to you!** **What do you say, does Pollen:**

**A) Hold on to it for a bit longer**

**B) Give it up but first talk her through her responsibilities, etc.**

**C) Give it up because there's an akuma and there isn't really any other choice**

**D) Something else, let me know in the comments!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got the next part more or less planned out, and it may or may not involve the bestowing of another miraculous onto another person ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Hope you like it so far, and thank you for your comments!


	9. Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm branching out a bit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I *think* I know what I'm doing, but I might not, so please bear with me

**ADRIEN**

 

_BIRTHDAY PARTY_

_Where: Tom & Sabine Boulangerie-Patisserie_

_When: April 28/29_

_RSVP  @ +33653257_

 

Adrien sighed as he looked at the card he had received from Marinette earlier that day, inviting him to her 15th birthday party. Even without asking, he knew there was no chance of him going. If Gabriel Agreste didn't approve of his son hosting his own celebration, he would certainly not consent to Adrien attending someone else's. Marinette was one of his closest friends, and the fact that he wouldn't be able to celebrate her birthday with her, well....

It would take some miracle to convince his father.  _Miracle. Like, as in Miraculous. He he._ Adrien chuckled lightly. Plagg flew out of his cardigan, mouth open ready to voice the word Adrien knew so well and despised just as much.

"CAMEMBERT!!!" Plagg screeched, at the exact same time as his holder, though the blond's tone was significantly less enthusiastic at the prospect. The boy sighed and reached into his bag for a wheel of the god-forsaken cheese, extracting a bag of chips for himself while he was at it. His father would be furious at the small act of rebellion, but Nino insisted that Adrien should get some junk food at least once in a while, and, being the great friend he was, had introduced Adrien to a variety of sweet and salty snacks whose caloric content made any dietitian shudder and most of which were familiar to children by the age of ten. Naturally Adrien had never heard of them.

As expected, Plagg swallowed the entire wheel in one gulp, burping revoltingly as Adrien tore open the my-eyes-are-burning red packet of orange triangles. An enticing smell wafted through the air as Adrien took one out and took a bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, deciding he liked them despite their association with the above mentioned unspeakable.

"Doritos," Plagg read from the side of the bag. "Nacho cheese. Since when do you eat cheese?" he asked, surprised.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "For your information, I've always eaten cheese, just not that disgusting stuff you manage to down all the time." he explained. "And besides, it's cheese- _flavored_ , not real cheese. They're actually pretty good. Want one?" he offered. Usually Plagg turned his nose up at Nino's choice of snacks, but since this time it involved cheese, he reasoned the kwami would give it a try. Plagg shrugged and popped one of the geometric pieces of bliss into his mouth.

What Adrien expected was for the cat to a) promptly spit the chip out in disgust, or b) admit he enjoyed it, but Camembert was better. What Adrien did  _not_ expect was Plagg's eyes widening in shock as he swallowed the cheese-flavored chip. And he certainly had not anticipated for the kwami to dive into the bag and re-emerge with enough chips to create a set of food-armor for his tiny form. The usually lazy black god zoomed around the room in apparent delight, gobbling down chip after chip until the packet was empty and the person it had originally been intended for was left staring.

Plagg finally swallowed the last one, letting out a loud belch before flying back to his holder. He floated right up to meet the blond's gaze, poking a finger in his face. "Next time," he declared, "forget Camembert. I want Doritos instead. 'Kay? DORITOS. I want D-O-R-I-T-O-S. I want them. And I want them NOW. So GIMME DORITOS!!!" he whizzed around stretching the name of the company as long and exaggeratedly as he could.

Adrien was, to say the least, SHOOK. He thought he'd never see the day his kwami turned down a wheel of the vile cheese, but here the kwami was, completely ignoring Camembert, sparing Adrien from a lifelong sentence of justifying the omnipresent stench of molding cheese that hung around him 24/7, and instead asking for cheese-flavored nachos that were ordinarily consumed by persons of far lower class than the tiny god usually attributed himself with.

However, he was incredibly thankful. Gone were the days of being surrounded by the horrible-smelling cheese, and finding food for the kwami would be far easier now that he had adapted to a much more generic food. Adrien couldn't help grinning at the thought.

"Okay," he laughed. "I'll get you some more. Say, did you know there's a whole bunch of other flavors too? Cool Ranch, Bold BBQ, Salsa..."

Plagg looked like a child who had just been told that Christmas was coming early this year. His eyes bugged out of his head and he started another round of bedroom-zooming in excitement. Adrien laughed and turned back to the personalized card on his desk. _If only other people were so willing to adapt_ , he thought, imagining how much fun the others would probably be having at the party that he wouldn't be going to. Some things in life just weren't fair.

***

When Adrien saw his father waiting for him on the staircase when he got home from school, he immediately knew that whatever it was that he was here for, it couldn't be good news. Surely enough, his father began.

"So your classmate is having a birthday party at her house, I hear." He had barely started and Adrien's heart sank. He knew it was no good even bringing the topic up, but actually hearing the disapproval from his father killed the tiny spark of hope that had somehow managed to linger even after the model reminded himself over and over again that it was a lost cause. "A sleepover, tomorrow night?"

Adrien nodded his head morosely. His father quirked an eyebrow slightly and continued. "And you were intending to attend this party?" he inquired.

"But, father, Marinette is one of my friends, and if I'm not there-" he started before his father could sentence him to a punishment, which could range anywhere from additional photo shoots to being taken out of public school. He shuddered at the thought.

"Silence!" Gabriel commanded, his son complied instantly. "You are permitted to attend this, _birthday_ party tomorrow night. You must however, keep in touch with Nathalie while you are there to make sure you are where you expected to be at all times."

Adrien's ears must have been damaged somehow; he couldn't possibly be hearing what he thought he was hearing. His father, the infamously overprotective  _Gabriel Agreste_ allowing him to go to a sleepover? As Chloe would say,  _ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous._ He couldn't be joking; he definitely didn't have a sense of humor the last time his son had checked; maybe Adrien needed to go see a doctor.

But his father didn't seem to be lying. On the contrary, he continued to describe the terms of this unusual agreement, and the model quickly snapped back to attention.

"And your driver will be there to pick you up the next morning and drive you to your photo shoot at exactly 11:15," Gabriel finished. Adrien's head bobbed up and down in confirmation, and the model dashed to his room to text Nino the good news before his father could regain his sanity and reconsider.

Gabriel turned back up the stairs once his son had left, pulling out a file from within his desk and opening its contents. He traced down the lines of information until he found what he needed and nodded to himself, pulling out his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a cliffhanger, haha! This isn't really a choose chapter because it isn't *directly* related to the story's events, per se.....or is it? I'm not sure how I'd describe it. Either way, this is taking place at about the same time as last chapter's events, if that makes any sense.
> 
> Also, sorry if I kinda exaggerated Adrien's reaction and the overall importance of this party to the point it was unbelievable. I kinda had to, not really? I don't really know. But I'm happy with the way it turned out, so I'll keep it this way.
> 
> Also, the Doritos was inspired by this webcomic: https://staroseren.deviantart.com/art/The-Discovery-of-Doritos-Part-1-623772291


	10. Flight of the Bumblebee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pollen was right. But people can change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is again me on autopilot. I'm not sure I did as well of a job as last time, but let's see...

**CHLOE**

 

Just as Pollen was about to declare her final word that Chloe had to prove she really had changed before allowing her to transform, someone screamed so loud that the whole suite shook, despite the reinforced soundproofing within the walls. Chloe jumped up and ran to the door to find the source of the commotion; whoever they were, they had no right to be making this much noise at this late hour. She had barely opened the door when the entire hallway exploded, causing the girl to slam the door closed as a cloud of smoke diffused in the room.

"Akuma," she and Pollen said at the same time. Chloe immediately turned to the kwami, her eyes wide and pleading. Pollen sighed; she didn't really have much of a choice anymore. Chloe was so close to the akuma already, and given the hour of night, Ladybug and the other superheroes wouldn't be there soon enough to stall the attack. "Okay, fine" she agreed quickly. "Just say 'stripes on' and you'll transform."

Chloe followed the directions and a moment later, a bright bee-themed superheroine stood proudly where there had just been a whiny teenager arguing with a little ball of yellow and black fuzz. She took a moment to examine herself in the mirror beside the entrance, admiring the design of her spandex suit and the bright embellishment on the comb she had started keeping in her hair as of late, which was no longer a dull bronze, but a gleaming gold with colorful jewels embedded into the top. Chloe noted with satisfaction that the annoying kwami had been sucked into the accessory to fuel her transformation, so she wouldn't have to put up with all those irritating lectures while in-costume. Another benefit of being a superheroine. However, the number of voices calling from downstairs was growing, forcing her to abandon the mirror and do something helpful while she waited for the implied team leader to show up.

Queen Bee (as she had named herself), made use of the wings she discovered on her back and flew as fast as she could to the restaurant, where she was met with an overall scene of chaos; people running in all directions and screaming as if that would help them somehow. She assessed the situation, pinpointing the location of the villain to the kitchen, since that's what most of the blasts of light seemed to be coming from. She went over to one of the people in kitchen uniforms.

"I'm Queen Bee, Paris' new superheroine. Can you tell me what's going on," she asked the woman who she now recognized as Alya's mother. Marlena nodded, pointing to the place she worked.

"There's an akuma in the kitchen. She's turning everyone into golden and stone statues," the head chef explained. Queen Bee glanced at the window in the kitchen door; surely enough, the noise coming from inside had stopped and she spotted a trace of gold. 

"Okay," the superheroine responded. "I need you to take all the patrons and the staff and evacuate, NOW!" Marlena didn't have to be told twice. She ran towards the group already attempting to escape, herding them through the stairwell since the elevator had been blasted through. Chloe's butler however, hurried towards the service elevator, making to climb inside. Queen Bee quickly followed.

"Where are you going?" she asked impatiently. "You're supposed to be going with the others to safety!!!" Honestly, if only some people used common sense when an akuma attacked.

"But the mistress is still upstairs in her suite," the man said, referring to her alter ego. "I need to get her to safety first."

Queen Bee shook her head. "Don't worry, Chloe has been taken care of, now you should get somewhere, fast." He affirmed with a nod of his head and followed the others out the door, just a moment before the villain burst through the door.

Marie Levesque was woman who was sick of being lied to. She had been deceived over and over again, and she was tired of people pretending to care about her then promptly stabbing her in the back. This time, her boyfriend of three months had stood her on a very important date in the restaurant at the Grand Paris hotel. He had made her so many empty promises, assuring her that he would love her no matter what, and now she watched as he walked along the Seine with a rose inside his jacket, another woman in his arms. 

Midasa had the power to distinguish between people who were good of heart from those who were simply cruel within with a mask of kindness on the outside. Those with a heart of gold were turned into such, glowing statues who were too good to be hurt by this world. The ones who had hearts of stone became the same on the outside, brittle and colorless, so everyone could see who they really were.

Queen Bee raced down the stairs with the villainess hot on her heels, dodged every oncoming blast from the crazy woman's gun. She pushed people into closets or doors since they clearly had no idea what getting to safety meant. By the time the heroine reached the second floor, Ladybug and the team had  _fianlly_ arrived. The polka-dotted girl barely registered the new recruit (she must have become accustomed to a new addition to the group by now) and started giving directions before the one in stripes could properly introduce herself. Chloe tried to get assigned to work alongside Ladybug, but instead the latter sentenced her to handle the lobby while the others tackled the actual villain. Alone.

The superheroine was incredibly annoyed at this point, but reasoned that once the butterfly had been purified she would have time to befriend her admiree of the last year or so. She reached the lobby, only to find Midasa had beaten her to it. Queen Bee was about to call the others to let them know that their opponent was actually in the opposite direction they were headed, but was prevented from doing so by another round of gunshots. She instead focused on getting as many people to safety as possible (why were people so hopeless at finding a place to hide), and the room was emptying soon. A few people never made it through, standing frozen in their tracks encased in gold or rock, but others still narrowly avoided being shot and quickly left. Chloe mentally cursed Ladybug for being so self-centred and never taking the former's advice, but all thoughts of the red and black heroine disappeared as the girl's attention snapped to something else.

The akuma was still shooting haphazardly, beams of light either rendering the human subjects immobile, or, in the significantly more frequent event they made contact with a non-living object, causing a small explosion. One of the random shots came dangerously close to the yellow-clad heroine, and she let out a sigh of relief, but hit someone else behind her who should have left to safety a while ago.

"DADDY!" she shrieked, as the mayor of Paris, despite all the negative remarks he often received as a politician, froze and turned into a mass of solid gold. She immediately covered her mouth, afraid of having revealed her identity, but the lobby was empty save for a number of sculptures, the villain, and herself. Chloe forgot all about being friends with Ladybug and how much she resented Rena for being her top choice, and instead switched to a much more determined and serious resolve.

"How dare you." Queen Bee's voice was low and threatening. It was one thing to preserve the inhabitants of the hotel in statue form, but targeting the  _mayor_ , Chloe's own  _father_ , well that triggered something entirely different inside her. Her vision cleared, and now all she saw was red.

When Chat Noir and Carapace finally found the akuma, followed by Rena Rouge and Ladybug, they discovered they didn't really have much more to do; Queen Bee was nothing short of  _raging_ out at the woman, paying no heed to the shots aimed at her but swinging her trompo every which way to have her revenge on the villainess.

Ladybug used the distraction to her advantage, summoning her Lucky Charm - a frying pan, and used it to shield herself from the random blasts and reached for a necklace that Rena Rouge had noticed earlier on the villain, snapping it after Chat destroyed the table the woman had been using as a platform. 

One white butterfly and a bunch of little ladybugs later, Chat, Ladybug, Rena and Carapace performed their customary fist-bump, now adapted to include the two new members. Ladybug walked over to Queen Bee, wanting to apologize for the lack of earlier introduction before her transformation expired, but the blonde heroine had instead run over to the mayor to ensure his well-being. Ladybug ended up ditching the attempt and hurried away to de-transform before Chat could pester her again with his constant flirting. She had noticed that Chat seemed a lot more energetic and enthusiastic this time, he had spent a lot less time trying to get her attention and more time actually following directions.

Carapace noticed this as well, and followed Chat as he left the building. Once the two were outside and safely out of sight, they simultaneously dropped their transformations.

"So," Nino smiled at Adrien, both catching their respective kwamis as they fell out of the air. "He said yes?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No options, sorry. I just couldn't figure out a way to fit them into this part. I'll try include them next chapter though, but we'll have to see....
> 
> And no, don't worry, this is still a choose-your-own adventure, and there will still be options, but I'm starting to form a more coherent plot now, so, yeah....
> 
> Also, if I made any mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out ;)


	11. Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Chloe and Nathaniel will not be present due to plot requirements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I mean, Chloe isn't there obviously because she hasn't 100% redeemed herself yet and Alya would never let Marinette allow Chloe to spoil her party like that, so....

**MARINETTE**

 

Marinette had been in a state of frenzied excitement the entire day, even though the party didn't start until 6 pm. Alya came over at around noon to help set up decorations and such, but she also came with some exciting news.

"You'll never guess what Nino just texted me!" the blogger was practically jumping with excitement. "Adrien convinced his dad to let him come to the sleepover. Is that awesome or what?"

Marinette's jaw dropped. "No way," she denied, snatching her best friend's phone to see for herself. Sure enough, the DJ had messaged his girlfriend (well, it wasn't official yet, but they were bound to get together one of these days), that the model had by some incredible feat of hypnosis, received permission. To come to Marinette's house. And stay overnight. In Marinette's house. He, the famous model,  _Adrien Agreste_ was going to spend the night,  _tonight_ , at her house,  _Marinette's_ house, possibly in her bedroom,  _Marinette's_ bedroom, to celebrate her birthday,  _Marinette's_ birthday. Her head was spinning just imagining it.

She wondered what kind of gift he would bring. Did he know what kinds of things she liked? His father was a fashion designer, maybe he would know what to bring for someone like that. What if he got bored in the middle and decided to go back home? What if there wasn't space in her apartment and he was forced to sleep outside? What if something went wrong and when she tried to blow out the candles he caught on fire? What if???

Her mind was racing with every possible bad thing that could happen. He might trip over the decorations, or run into a bunch of balloons, or, or get tangled up in the streamers, or... Marinette was so distracted she didn't even notice the cookie dough balls she was flattening to nothingness until Alya nudged her and asked her if they were supposed to look like chocolate chip pancakes stuck on the countertop. Her friend seemed to read her mind, and chuckled.

"I know you're probably panicking about Adrien being there," she confirmed. "Don't be. It's your special day and him being there is just the icing on the cake." She smiled, gesturing to the cupcakes she was currently frosting. Marinette bit her lip.

"Yeah, but you know how I am. As soon as he shows up I'll hardly be able to form a single sentence. I'll be flipping out all over the place, and worse, what if he gets poisoned by the cake and ends up in the hospital and his dad realizes he shouldn't have come in the first place and ohmigosh, what if he takes Adrien out of public school because he thinks I'm a bad influence on him, and..." She went off rambling like only Marinette could. Alya gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"You'll be fine," she soothed. "Now quit stressing out about it and help me. These cupcakes aren't going to frost themselves." She proved her point by drawing a frowny face on the cupcake in her hand, sad that it wasn't joining its other, frosted companions. Marinette giggled and joined in, and soon they were lost in a conversation about the new yellow and black superheroine and how she seemed so aggressive and akumas and villains....

***

The doorbell rang at exactly 6 pm to reveal Nino and (surprise!) Adrien himself. Marinette conveniently forgot how to form sentences, so Alya (thank heavens for her) led them to the couch, where four controllers were already set up for a video gaming tournament. She also pointed out the refreshments, and Adrien went for the bowl of Doritos, moving almost as if he were magnetically attracted to it. Oh, well, maybe he was more of a salty snack type of guy. However, he did immediately reach for a croissant after that, so she supposed he still liked homemade pastries. Thankfully the croissant was  _not_ poisoned, and they managed to get through the evening without any injuries or events of mass destruction. 

Their classmates started arriving soon after, and by 7, the party was in full swing. Nobody noticed that Chloe wasn't there (most of them were thankful she had been omitted from the guest list) but Lila was slightly concerned about the absence of one person.

"Have you seen Nathaniel," she asked the bluenette, holding a glass of shocking pink punch. Marinette scanned the room, mentally checking off every person. She thought she had crossed everyone off on her list as they arrived, but Lila was right, the redhead was nowhere to be seen. Usually he would have been easily recognized in a place like this given the conspicuous shade of his hair. Marinette consulted the list she put near the door, and looked it up and down when she realized her mistake.

"Oh, no," she whispered to herself. "I forgot Nathaniel!"

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

The redhead was well used to being forgotten. Despite the fact that more than half of his head was a flaming orange, people rarely noticed him unless they were looking for him in particular. He didn't mind it, it was easier to get away with things when nobody knew you existed half the time and when they did, they didn't pay attention. Of course, that changed when Lila joined the class and spent most of her time at their shared desk struggling to sneak a glance at his sketchbook. Emphasis on  _his_.

But when Marinette invited the whole class (except Chloe, but who cares about Chloe?) to her birthday party  _except_ him, he couldn't help feeling a little upset. His crush on her had faded almost immediately in the aftermath of his akumatisation, and he had been a little smitten with Ladybug until he realized they were the same person, but even if he recognized her as a mere classmate and nothing else, well, it did kind of hurt. But he didn't have the guts to ask why.

So he watched silently as she handed out the envelopes before class. He watched as she deliberately skipped Chloe and stumbled over her words and she held out the card while Adrien gave her a puzzled smile. Even when Rose asked him what he was planning to give the girl as a gift, he mumbled a response and changed the subject.

Now he was sitting at home with not much to do but brood about being invisible and socially awkward and having no friends, but at least he had that new comic book he'd bought at the shop around the corner after school.

30 minutes later, that option was gone too. He sighed, opening his sketchbook but not really in the mood to draw anything, when his phone vibrated. The screen lit up, displaying a text message; probably from Rose or Juleka asking why he wasn't there.

_+33678424_

Nope. He opened the message and read.

_This is not spam. You have been chosen for a very important task and are expected at Place du Châtelet, 75001 Paris at 18:15 sharp. This is to remain a secret, so do not inform anyone about this. If you do not arrive I will have to resort to other methods of contacting you, and I am aware of your address, phone number, school, and identity. I will see you then._

Woah, creepy stalker mail. Nathaniel reread the message several times.  _Place du Châtelet, 75001_ , that wasn't too far away. He glanced at the clock,  _18:01_. If he left now, he could get there in ten minutes. But was the message really true? It could very well be a hoax, and he might get into trouble for leaving the house without letting his parents know, since the text clearly stated he wasn't going to be telling anyone about this. So the decision was his: to go or not to go...

 

**Well, really, his choice is going to be determined by fate, and fate is determined by you!**

**So, whaddya say?**

**A) To go**

**B) Not to go**

**C) Tell someone about the message**

**D) Report the cyberstalker**

**E) Something else, the comments are at your disposal ;)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm.....I'll say I'm fairly content with how this turned out.
> 
> The birthday party guest list-thing was in part inspired by the webisode (not really webisode?), 'Marinette's Birthday Party' and she specifically chooses not to invite Chloe for obvious reasons, but something the fans all noticed was that she forgot Nathaniel. #givetomatosomelove2k17  
> But she invited Lila and Sabrina because, well, that's what fits in with the plot, so.....yeah :D
> 
> Also, spoiler/not-spoiler, this decision is going to make a BIG difference on how the story turns out. So choose wisely. I'm watching you....
> 
> *fades into shadows*


	12. I must be dreaming...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been waiting for this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, the tension builds...
> 
> Oh, and yeah, I finally started coming up with sensible chapter titles. Yay for me!

** NATHANIEL **

 

 _Oh, well_ , Nathaniel decided. _Might as well go see what all this secrecy was about_. Neither of his parents were home at the moment, so he took his chances and left quietly. The text had clearly warned him not to tell anyone, but he figured that a scrawled message on a Post-It couldn’t hurt, just in case he got kidnapped or anything. _Je serais chez Theo -_  a simple note, and it wasn't unusual for him to stay late nights in the sculptor’s studio helping him with projects or just hanging out. Nothing suspicious.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the redhead grabbed his phone and left, reaching the location in eleven minutes. He turned the screen on, making sure he wasn’t late. _18:14_. The towering gates between him and the mansion were still locked. He checked the time again. _18:14…..18:15_. He sighed, wondering if it was all a scam, when the gates started opening, making him jump. Once they were fully open, allowing him into the residence, he finally recognized the place as Adrien’s house. He remembered being here back during the Bubbler akuma. That party was definitely not a happy event in his mind. He shivered slightly at the memory of being trapped in a giant bubble, speeding away from Earth and nearly suffocating from lack of air.

He hurried up the steps and opened the door, wanting to get out of the area of that hostage celebration as fast as possible. The door was unlocked, and he dashed inside.

A man who he recognized as Adrien’s father, only because he was so famous it was impossible not to, was waiting for him on the steps, his face impassive as he led the teen to his personal study upstairs. The suspense mounted as Nathaniel followed him to whatever he was planning, curious as to why _Gabriel Agreste_ , of all people, wanted _Nathaniel_ for such an important task. The fashion designer pushed open the door and beckoned the other to sit in the vacant seat opposite the desk, taking the chair behind the table for himself.

“So,” he finally said. “You are probably wondering why I summoned you here at this unusual time. I admit it is rather inconvenient, but I did need to find a time when I could ensure my son was not home; he is rather intrusive at times, you see.” Nathaniel nodded, too intimidated by the man to say anything.

“I have asked you to come here for a very important task, as I have already informed you. I assume you received my message. Thank you for not disregarding it as a hoax.” He inclined his head at the boy in front of him, who bobbed his head again for lack of a better response.

“The task I am about to present to you requires someone of ambition, someone who is brave enough to stand up for something they value, and someone who will never give up. It needs someone who is unselfish, and ready to do all it takes to achieve a goal. Someone like you.” Nathaniel stared at him for a few minutes in disbelief. The characteristics he had just outlined were certainly nothing close to any traits he possessed. Gabriel must have been confusing him with someone else.

“But, sir,” he finally spoke up. “I’m not any of those things. I’m not brave, or determined, or-” Gabriel cut him off, motioning a finger to stop him from continuing.

“You may feel that you fall short of the requirements, but I, on the other hand, have confidence that you will perform respectably.” he stated. “Perhaps you find yourself intimidated by those around you, but I have seen what you were capable of under the influence of an external factor. You were still conscious of your actions as Le Dessinateur, were you not? Summoning the confidence to confess your feelings you a girl you were infatuated with is no mean feat, and you managed to accomplish that.” Nathaniel thought about that. It was true that he had managed to ask Marinette out on a date (albeit one that failed miserably), but he had really only been able to do that with the help of an akuma, that really hadn’t been himself....

Gabriel seemed to read his mind and nodded. “You may think that you were only able to achieve that under the mask of someone else, but the job I plan to assign you should not be so difficult if you can find the confidence within yourself.” He leaned in, finally revealing this oh-so-important thing he needed Nathaniel for.

“I have chosen you to become the new wielder of the Peacock Miraculous,” he stated.

Nathaniel gaped at him in shock. He knew what a Miraculous was and what it did, the magical jewellery had cameoed in his comics more than once after all, but _him_ , becoming a _holder_ , was just, well, it was beyond him. Being a superhero had been his dream as a child, and even now, but the revelation that he would finally get to see it come true, well, that was simply too good to be true. He wasn’t sure what the fashion designer’s sense of humor was like, but as far as he knew from what he heard about him, he rarely made jokes. And by rarely, it meant that when he _did_ make a joke once in a blue moon, it wasn’t the funny kind. It was the kind that shut you up right then and there and made you stare at the ground sheepishly trying to justify your foolish actions. 

So why was Gabriel looking at him with that unnerving all-knowing smile on his face, as if he had expected this reaction from the start. No, really, seeing the man smile was probably the creepiest thing he had  _ever_ seen, and Alix had forced him to watch _It_ with her last Halloween. Juleka had been fine with it, enjoyed it even. Alix wouldn’t admit she screamed twice and had to hold onto the redhead for most of the movie, and Rose, poor her, had been sobbing into her girlfriend’s shoulder every time she saw blood. Which was...a lot. But Nathaniel doubted even Juleka would be able to not get creeped out by the expression on Adrien’s father’s face right now. 

“I assure you that I am completely serious and fully sane in my decision,” he responded to Nathaniel’s frozen expression, jaw dropped and eyes wide. “I have been searching for some time now, and you seem to be the ideal heir. The Miraculous are often chosen to counteract the ordinary personalities of their users. The Peacock Miraculous in particular, is notable for the flamboyance and flair of the holder while in-costume.” Nathaniel finally discovered how to use his mouth again, and all but burst out laughing. He would have snickered, too, if he hadn’t been so terrified by that psychotic grin now imprinted on his mind and sure to feature in his nightmares from now on.

“Flamboyance and flair?! You have got to be kidding me,” Nathaniel completely disregarded the formal tone he had been using. “I am like, the exact  _opposite_ of that. I’m practically invisible half the time!”

“Which, you will find, will work to your advantage,” Gabriel ignored the purpose of the comment, continuing as if he was merely discussing criteria for a school assignment, not a potentially life-changing decision. “The less people who are aware of your presence, the less you have to worry about people noticing your absence when you transform, and the less you have to work to keep your identity a secret.”

Nathaniel had to acknowledge that. It might help, he supposed, recalling how Chat Noir and Ladybug were always so flustered when someone mentioned their civilian identity. Honestly, those two couldn’t be more obvious, or dense. Gabriel took the redhead’s silence in thought as a good sign, and went on.

“I understand you are probably cautious about the responsibilities that come with this job, but I assure that soon you will be used to fighting akumas every other day and helping Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the team.”

“I also, must note, that you are also going have to start implementing some things into your life to adapt to this new lifestyle. Regular exercise and a healthier diet are high on the list, since you will have to get into shape if you’re going to fight supervillains. You will also need to check in with me every so often to discuss your progress, you are working for me to an extent as well, of course. Other responsibilities and everything else you need to know will be described by your kwami, a small god that will allow you transform into a superhero.” Gabriel finished his explanation and waited for Nathaniel to process the information.

When the boy finally looked back up at him, the words were ready on his lips.

 

**What is Nathaniel's response?**

**A) "I'm ready"**

**B) "No way, I'm out of here"**

**C) "Pinch me, I'm dreaming. Wait, can you repeat all of that again?"**

**D) Other, comments are your suggestion box!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't read through this to check for fluency, punctuation, etc., so I'm not sure if it's alright. I had fun writing this chapter though, so I don't think I'll rewrite it.
> 
> And yes, y'all have been waiting AGES for this, haven't you?
> 
> Also, I know Gabriel is still shrouded in mystery, and I'm torn between creating some dramatic irony and revealing stuff to the readers, or leaving him in the shadows and waiting until much later.
> 
> Also, also, I haven't seen IT, so I don't know if I described it the right way, but I'm too chicken to watch it and I'm too lazy to change it, so you'll just have to deal with that
> 
> I'm just going to keep him secretive for now... >:D MWAHAHAHA
> 
> *fades back into shadows*


	13. I still don't believe it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tomato starts to have second thoughts about accepting missions from psychotic-stalker fashion designers. And not the ones who are currently celebrating their birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The responses for last chapter were generally the same, but I kinda felt like combining all three, so here ya go!
> 
> Also, a note - I rarely plan out chapters in advance and most of them are formed as they are written. The story is really just writing itself, so I have no idea where this is going when I write the beginning notes XD

**NATHANIEL**

 

"Wait, so let me get this straight. _You_ ," Nathaniel pointed to Adrien's father, "want _me_ to work for you as a  _superhero_?! Like, a legitimate, bona fide, Miraculous-powered vigilante?! No way. No. Way. I must be dreaming."

The man sighed in mild annoyance. "Yes, I intend to pass the miraculous onto you in the hopes that you will do great things with it. And no, I can guarantee you that this is not, in fact, a dream, and is 100% real. Would you like me to prove that for you?" his voice was calm but there was a trace of exasperation in it, almost amusement. "Yes, please," the redhead responded, still in denial that his boyhood fantasies might finally be coming to life.

Gabriel reached over the desk to the other side where Nathaniel sat, and gave the teen a firm pinch in the arm. "Owww," the artist cried out, massaging the point of contact. "What was that for?!"

"You wanted proof that you weren't dreaming. Did that feel like a dream?" the fashion designer pointed out. "No," Nathaniel mumbled. "Fine, I  believe you. Now where is this miraculous-thing, if you're really telling the truth."

"I assume that means you have accepted this task, in which case I will show you the miraculous once you have signed this contract," he pulled out a package of sheets from inside his desk, proffering the document to the boy. Nathaniel stared at it.

"A contract? You never said anything about me signing anything!" the superhero-to-be was growing more and more suspicious by the moment as he thumbed through 50-something pages of extensive information.

"Oh, it's only a formality. You're just confirming that you're aware of the possible dangers that come with this commitment," he pointed out the various places Nathaniel needed to sign, leaving the redhead with not much of a choice but to pen in his signature. "...including, injury, loss of memory, and potential death, among other things." The pen in the redhead's hand jerked, leaving a random trail of ink that didn't remotely resemble his name.

"Death?! I could _die_?! What are you doing, making me sign off my own life?! Screw this, I'm out of here." he jumped out of his seat and made to leave, but Gabriel stood up too and stopped him.

"Please, the chances of actual casualty are incredibly low, since the Miraculous Ladybug does repair all damage and harm that occurs within the time span between the corruption of the butterfly and it's purification. Your suit will shield you from most bodily damage, and the only thing you really need to worry about it losing your miraculous. Promise." Nathaniel eyed him for several moments, not believing a word he said. Finally he caved in and sat back down.

"Fine," he huffed. "Just show me where to sign and make it quick." Gabriel complied instantly, showing him the last two lines he needed to mark, and snapped the sheets closed once the boy had dotted the _i_  and crossed the _t_ 's. He quickly put it away in a locked drawer, securing Nathaniel's consent from further consideration.  _Gosh, what is it with people and snatching things away so I can't see them,_  the redhead thought, remembering Chloe and her comb. He tuned back into whatever Gabriel said next, then, so he wouldn't miss anything else ridiculous he might have to do.

Gabriel finally rose from his seat, motioning for Nathaniel to follow him back downstairs to the main floor. The fashion designer led them to his  _atelier_ , walking over to an exquisite painting that hung on the far wall. Nathaniel couldn't help but marvel at the quality of art, the portrait must have cost a lot to commission. Gabriel however, did not comment on the art, nor on its subject, a woman who Nathaniel assumed was Adrien's missing mother, and swung the canvas to the side to reveal a hidden safe behind it. The man glanced at the teen a few times to make sure he wasn't looking as he entered a code, and the door sprang open.

Nathaniel barely had time to register the safe's contents before it was slammed shut, but his mind had formed a rough likeness of what he had been able see in the millisecond it was open. Gabriel opened his hand to finally display the object of tonight's discussion; a small brooch resembling a peacock. Blues and greens were swirling around the pin's nine feathers that fanned out around a tiny round sapphire.

"This is the Peacock Miraculous," Gabriel presented the brooch to Nathaniel, who took it and placed it in his jacket pocket for safekeeping. "It is invaluable, so guard it with your life." Nathaniel nodded, his fingers still tracing its outline in his pocket.

"Your identity is your secret, protect it and reveal it only as you see fit. Your kwami lies dormant within the brooch at the moment, but will rouse once you intend to activate her. She will explain everything else to you, as well as act as a companion and advisor. I expect to see you again to check your progress two weeks from now. I will send you a text message to remind you, so save the number in your contacts somewhere secure where others will not find it. I look forward to seeing you then." They had reached the front door by the time Gabriel finished, signaling that it was time for Nathaniel to leave.

"I won't disappoint you sir," Nathaniel promised as he left. Gabriel bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Good luck."

And with that, the iron gates of the mansion closed behind him as he walked back home, reeling from what had just happened. His mind was still in denial that the whole event had ever even taken place, but something in the back of his head confirmed that it hadn't been just some wonderful hallucination.

"I'm going to be superhero!" he whispered, anticipation and excitement building in his stomach.

 

**What does Nathaniel do first?**

**A) Freak out about it for about 2 hours before deciding he needs to see a psychiatrist**

**B) Go straight home and introduce himself to Duusu**

**C) Crash Marinette's party in a surge of craziness after this shock**

**D) Other, comment what reaction you want from our lil' shook tomato son**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I think I did a fair job combining all three options into one, but I could just be completely off my rocker, so.....I dunno....
> 
> Next chapter, Paon makes his moonlit debut! Well, sort of...hopefully depending on your comments...
> 
> Stay classy!


	14. It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's definitely a bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some much needed Chlonath interaction finally occurs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm spacing out the updates a bit more to give y'all a chance to respond XD
> 
> Also, I love your comments so much! They're all so amazing and y'all really make my day :D So, thank you!!!

**MARINETTE**

 

Marinette frowned at her phone, another call going straight to voicemail. Well, people often did have things to do on Saturday nights, so she reasoned that Nathaniel was just at some family dinner and turned his phone off for the time being. Still, it didn't feel right not apologizing. Alya noticed her friend's distressed state and walked over.

"Chill, girl," she soothed. "He's probably just busy with something and can't pick up right now. No use worrying about it, just try and enjoy your birthday!" Marinette sighed and put her phone back in her bag.

"You're right. I'll just talk to him on Monday," she agreed, and the blogger gave her a hug.

"Great. Now, why don't you go talk to Adrien?" Alya suggested, sending Marinette into another frenzied panic as she guided her back to the rest of the crowd.

 

***

 

** NATHANIEL **

 

The redhead took off running, reaching his house as fast as he possibly could to find out how to become a superhero. His mind buzzed with the thought of having superpowers, moonlighting as a secret vigilante, and the excitement of having such a big secret. He took the stairs four at a time, finally collapsing on his bed as soon as he got into his room, slamming the door behind him. Once he had finally caught his breath, he pushed himself up and sat down at his desk, pulling the brooch out of his pocket.

Almost immediately, a dazzling blue light appeared, momentarily blinding him before he acknowledged a small floating creature hovering above the jewellery. The creature opened its eyes, quickly taking in its surroundings, before landing on Nathaniel himself.

"Hi, I'm Duusu, and you must be my new holder," she cheerfully introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Duusu, I'm Nathaniel," he responded. "Mr. Agreste said you were going to teach me how to become a superhero. You're my kwami, right?"

"Correct," she smiled. "I enable you to transform into the superhero Paon Royale. But first I need to walk you through the basics of being a superhero." Nathaniel bobbed his head up and down quickly. Duusu took that as a sign to continue.

"First you need to know that as a superhero, naturally, you will be equipped with your own powerset that reflects your overall theme. For example, Ladybug is good luck, and Chat Noir, her opposite counterpart, symbolizes bad luck. The Peacock Miraculous represents time, and thus your abilities will be relevant to that. Your weapon is a peacock fan, and in the eyes of its feathers, you can anticipate your opponents next move. Your superpower is Freeze Frame, which causes all moving subjects to hover in suspended animation for roughly ten seconds. Transformed Miraculous holders and kwami are exempt from this, and will continue to be capable of motion, though akumatized villains will be rendered frozen. Your transformation will time out five minutes after the power is activated, as you probably already know." Duusu nodded at Nathaniel for assurance that he had heard, and he confirmed.

"So, Peacock Miraculous, mastery over time, I can see what my enemy is going to do next in that fan, power pretty much stops time for everyone _except_ kwamis and transformed Miraculous holders, and I have five minutes before I transform back after using my power." 

"After which I will have to recover my energy levels before I can transform you again. I'll really take anything, but I do enjoy ice cream in particular. Preferably strawberry." the kwami added. Nathaniel made a mental note to stock up on strawberry ice cream next time his parents sent him out for groceries.

"Strawberry ice cream, recharge before transforming again, got it," he repeated. "So if my weapon is a fan, what does my suit look like?" he inquired, curious as to what kind of outfit he'd have to fight in. Duusu beamed.

"Well, see, that's where you can get creative. Sometimes when you transform for the first time, you aren't sure how you're going to end up looking, so you can make a few adjustments or just make a new outfit altogether," she explained. "Different times call for different functions and styles, so the superhero costumes are always changing."

"Wait, so I get to design what I'm going to look like? Sweet." The artist usually wasn't this comfortable with conversations with strangers, but he was so excited he ignored his social awkwardness and pulled his sketchbook out of his desk.

"Yep, that's one of the great things about the Miraculous. They're timeless, so they quite adaptable to different holders. And take all the time you need," she assured him, noting as he began sketching out a rough outline of a figure. "There's no akuma right now, so you have plenty of time to decide on your look."

They sat in silence for a while, broken only by the sound of a pencil scratching away on paper and a few comments made by the blue sprite when Nathaniel showed her a few of his ideas. She remarked on his artistic talent, making blush and mumble a quiet "I'm really not that good" in return. Duusu noticed his awkwardness and realized he was more of an introvert the longer she watched him. A little experience being a superhero was sure to bring him out of his shell, especially one known for being so flashy and vibrant.

Finally, after a lot of scrapped designs and crumpled-up paper, Nathaniel brushed off a few stray bits of eraser dust, and held up his final sketch. A masked figure stood tall and proud in the center of the page, donning a royal blue suit, accents of pink here and there. Confidence and charisma practically radiated off of him, and Duusu wondered if Nathaniel had based the design off of his own ideal, to make up for the courage and spirit he lacked. She decided she was going to help him work on his self-esteem, in and out of costume, whether he liked it or not. He didn't seem to have a problem expressing himself through art, but when there wasn't a pencil and paper there, he had a lot more trouble communicating with others.

"Perfect," she approved, giving him the kwami version of a thumbs up. "Oh, but don't forget your fan. It's really two fans that can connect to form a full circle, which also doubles as a hoverboard." He added the detail, putting the sketchbook back down, and looking back up at her through his one visible eye.

"So tell me, how exactly do I transform?"

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe tried hard not to sulk. She really did. But there really wasn't much to do on a Saturday night when she knew Sabrina wasn't around to carry her bags if she went shopping or to watch a movie, because everyone knows that it's no fun watching a movie all by yourself.

So she decided, after very maturely raging at her furniture in an effort to vent her emotions, that she might as well do something helpful instead of torturing herself with the multitude of pictures that had appeared on her Twitter feed. The captions of  _Marinette's parties are bomb_ , and  _Happy Birthday Marinette, your party is lit_ were triggering her gag reflex, and she was quite tempted to barf if she saw one more post ft. Maritrash. Pollen decided it wiser not to argue with the severely irritable girl, and allowed her to transform and take on the duty of night patrol for that night, since none of her teammates were anywhere to be seen.

It was dull sitting perched on the top of the Eiffel Tower, but it was better than being cooped up in her suite with only servants for company. At least the air was fresh, and the colors of the setting sun streaking across the horizon were pretty to look at. From here she could see the area of Paris that her hotel room's windows could not, and the sunset was truly extraordinary. The calmness of the evening let her relax while the vivid hues of the sky distracted her from irrational thoughts about the bluenette in her class. That was, until, someone decided to go speeding through the air, whooping most unceremoniously as they shot by.

"Hey!" she shouted after them, losing her balance on her perch.

The superheroine caught a flash of blue (purple?) before she nearly toppled off the tower and plunged to her death. Luckily, her wings caught her just in time before she fell, and she flailed around for a few moments until she regained control of herself. The cause of her fall reappeared, and finally she could see who it was. He looked like another superhero, evidently a newbie and obviously not very experienced. He stood at her level, only instead of flying, he was supported by a floating platform that resembled a circle of feathers.

"Sorry about that," he apologized sheepishly. "I guess I was just a little excited, that's all."

"No harm done," Queen Bee muttered, still slightly annoyed with his careless actions. "Who are you anyways?"

"Me? I'm Paon Royale, Paris' newest hero. And you are..." he looked at her, expecting her to respond. 

"No you're not," The yellow-clad superheroine retorted. Paon looked at her, startled.

"Er, sorry?"

"I said, _no_ , you're  _not_. Paris' newest hero.  _I_ am, so don't think you're that special just because you burst in here out of nowhere and started  _whooping_." Some of Chloe's previous irritation was starting to resurface, and she wasn't sure why, but some petty part of her wanted to snap back and take that annoying smug smirk off the newbie's face.

"Um, okaayyyy....." he trailed off awkwardly. "Well, I mean, since we're both new. I mean, I'm not trying to say I'm special or anything, just an introduction or whatever. You know what, nevermind. I knocked into you and you have the full right to be mad at me." Queen Bee heard the sudden shift in tone, from curious to almost apologetic. She immediately felt guilty.

"Sorry, I just, I'm just having a bad day and taking it out on everybody," she admitted, the word sounding strange on her lips after having forcibly spat it out so many times before at school. Maybe it was Pollen influencing her from inside the comb, but it felt, almost  _natural_ on her tongue this time. Chloe quickly drove the thought out of her mind. She was Chloe Bourgeois, she didn't say sorry naturally. Never had, never would. Period.

Paon looked relieved. "Oh, I, um, yeah, well, sorry for your day. I hope it gets better later." Queen Bee frowned slightly at that. Why did people always say those kinds of things even when they knew it wasn't their fault? So annoying. "So, what brings you to patrol then, if you're feeling so bad." he asked.

"I just thought I'd go outside and get some fresh air and kind of distract myself, you know...?" the blue superhero nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I feel that way sometimes too. Sometimes you just want to be alone and away from people and just clear your mind." he commented. "I can leave if you want. I mean, since you probably want to be alone and stuff..." he trailed off again, turning to go.

 

**How does Queen Bee respond?**

**A) "No, stay! I mean, unless you have to go somewhere, but it's nice having someone to talk to..."**

**B) "Yes, please go away."**

**C) "No, I'm feeling better now. Can you stay and patrol with me?"**

**D) "Wow, it's getting late. I should probably go now myself."**

**E) Other, let me know in the comments!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, just wondering, what do y'all think for Nath's parent situation. I mean, they aren't really relevant at this point, and I've tried keeping them as vague as possible so you can think what you want, and I suppose it doesn't matter much, but still.  
> I've seen some where he has two moms, others with het parents, so what do you guys think? 
> 
> Also, I'm leaving him an only child because I don't want to put too many OCs in here.
> 
> And yay! We finally got to the Chlonath! Well, sort of, but still!!!
> 
> Also, also, in case you're wondering, I based Nath's design off of Karawek's take on Paon!Nath, which is probably a lot closer to twindoodle's take on *that*, but I changed the colors of his suit to pink and blue.


	15. Nothing romantic about watching the sunset...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some ships are set to sail and delayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Yes, I spaced out the updates. It drove me crazy with the urge to write, but it also forced me to get a life, so I guess it ended up being useful
> 
> Hope you like the chapter!
> 
> Also, if you find any mistakes in the chapter, please, don't hesitate to point them out!

**NATHANIEL**

 

"No, stay," the yellow superheroine quickly asserted. Paon stopped and turned back around. "I mean, unless you have somewhere to go...." she trailed off. "But it would be nice to have some company..." He complied and flew back until he was right beside her, setting himself down and using the fan-hoverboard as a floating bench. The feathers expanded, making him wonder if this had once been used as a magic carpet, allowing the platform to comfortably seat multiple subjects. He offered the space beside him to the girl, and she accepted, sitting close, but not too close, to the blue superhero.

"Thanks," she mumbled. Nathaniel grinned warmly in an effort to get on her good side, and she gave a tentative smile. They sat in slightly awkward silence for a few minutes, neither sure of what to say to the other. Finally the bee-themed girl spoke.

"So," she started in an amateur attempt to break the ice. "Why _were_ you flying and whooping like that at this time? I haven't seen you around before."

"I could say the same about you," he replied. "I just got my Miraculous tonight, and I guess I got a little carried away trying out my hoverboard," he gestured to the blue feathers they were sitting on. "What was your name again?"

"Queen Bee, and you were right about being the newest. I've actually had mine for a while, and you'd probably have seen me a lot more if my kwami wasn't so stubborn about letting me transform. I only joined the team last night." There was a trace of bitterness in her voice, as well as arrogance, and she cried out suddenly, hands flying to the base of her twisting ponytail. Her hair was held in place by a golden comb which seemed familiar to the boy for some reason, but he couldn't quite pin down where he had seen it before. In fact, Queen Bee herself seemed oddly familiar despite Nathaniel never having met her before, and his mind might have been able to recognize why if he weren't so entranced by the girl's every movement. He watched as she spoke, listening, but at the same time just taking in how ethereal she seemed. He reasoned it was the magic of the Miraculous that interfered with him and recognition, but he had an unusual feeling there was something else involved.

"Oh, really?" Paon asked surprised, jerking out of his thoughts after processing what the superheroine had just said. "Mine let me transform right away. Well, I mean, they explained everything, but then there wasn't really a problem with letting me transform."

"Yeah, apparently she thought that I ' _wasn't ready_ '," she made air-quotes with her fingers, before exclaiming again and loosening her hair. "Whatever," she rolled her eyes, then somehow remembered politeness and shifted her tone to seem more warm and friendly. "So, what else were you thinking of doing tonight," Queen Bee asked.

"Oh, uh..." Nathaniel hadn't even thought of any other reason to be out here, other than experience being a superhero. Frankly, he had been considering jumping off a building to test whether or not this was a hallucination after all, but now that he thought about it, if he had been right and this wasn't real, he probably would have got into rather a lot of trouble for seemingly attempting suicide. "Not much, I guess. Just wanted to try out my superhero ability, you?"

"Hmm, I just thought I'd patrol, since Ladybug and Chat Noir and Carapace aren't here. Join me?" Nathaniel noticed she hadn't included Rena Rouge, but let the detail go.

"Sure," he agreed. His parents might be worried a bit, but he figured he'd just tell them that Theo needed his help on a project and kept him late. Queen Bee looked thankful that she wouldn't have to be alone, and the redhead finally realized how many nights he'd be sacrificing from now on for the needs of the city.  _Goodbye, ever getting a good night's sleep again_ , he thought. It wasn't like he actually fell asleep most nights -  _thanks a lot, insomnia_ \- but this was going to take a lot more commitment than he'd thought. Gabriel's words floated back to him,  _regular exercise, healthier diet._ Welp, looks like he was going to change some things...

Paon and Queen Bee sat in comfortable silence, broken by small periods of easy conversation as they familiarized themselves with one another. Nathaniel watched as the bee-themed superheroine opened up and revealed herself to be a lot more friendly than she seemed at first glance. She spoke quite a lot about Ladybug, making the boy wonder if she was a fan of the acclaimed superheroine who was already the subject of the admiration of hordes of diehard fangirls. She also admitted that sometimes she wondered if she was even worthy of being a wielder after Nathaniel confessed his insecurity about being a superhero. She was so sweet yet so bold, so snarky yet so kind, that the artist couldn't believe that someone who came by as so brash could be so perfect. As the vibrant colors of the sky streaked out around them, he felt the familiar urge for his sketchbook and pencil, and knew that the moment he got home he was going to record this on paper forever, before he woke up and memories of the dream slipped away and he forgot that he had once sat beside a superheroine on a platform of feathers and watched the sunset together. 

"It's pretty, isn't it," she murmured, catching him off guard. "What, the sunset? Oh, yeah, yeah.....it's really nice," he regained control of his thoughts before he said anything he would later regret. This dream was amazing; he couldn't risk messing it up since it was very unlikely it would happen again.

Eventually the sky transitioned into deep purples and blues as the sun sank lower and lower below the horizon, then darkened to black speckled with twinkling lights from the heavens above. Queen Bee yawned, and slumped against his shoulders, falling asleep.

"Guess we should get home, then," Paon said reluctantly, not wanting the fantasy to end. "Yeah," the girl mumbled, getting up and turning away. "Also, just because I was sitting beside you and watched the sunset with you does not mean it means anything. Sorry to disappoint you but my heart's saved for someone else." She managed to sound intimidating and threatening despite her drooping eyelids and sagging shoulders. "Huh? Oh, er, yeah..." Paon affirmed, surprised at the sudden shift in attitude. "Uh, see you next time?"

"Next time!" she called as she flew back to wherever it was that she lived. Nathaniel stayed a few moments more, watching her retiring silhouette fly out of sight before standing up on his own hoverboard, which had shrunk back to accommodate a single person again, and turning back home. As he soared through the sky, watching the city below him come alive with glittering lights, his mind went over every detail of that evening. Even later, lying in his own bed, he continued to turn over the memories of the masked girl over and over in his head. Finally, just before sleep miraculously took over him and sent him to actual dreamland, he realized that magic might not have been the only thing clouding his mind when he came face-to-face with the superheroine. No matter how much he attempted to deny it, or how many threats she promised, he couldn't help the fact that he was starting to fall for Queen Bee.

 

***

**MARINETTE/ADRIEN**

 

Marinette glanced at the clock on the wall.  _23:27,_ and the party showed no signs of letting down anytime soon. Sabine poked her head around the corner, eyes widening slightly when she saw the animated fight on the couch. Apparently Kim had dared Alix to try and beat Max in a video gaming tournament, and their classmates were a bit, er, enthusiastic with who they thought should win. Marinette walked over to her mother.

"It's just a video game tournament," she assured the woman. "You know how pumped up me and Dad get when we play." Sabine nodded. "Just make sure you don't make too much noise and you're in bed by 24. It doesn't matter if you whisper to each other, but your father does have to wake up on time tomorrow, so try and keep it down, alright?"

"For sure, Mama," Marinette agreed, giving her a good night kiss before Sabine left for her room. Soft snores were already coming through the door, so Marinette assumed her father had already fallen asleep. She went back to her friends, and flicked off the TV to get their attention.

"Okay, guys, I know you're all excited about the dare, but my parents are sleeping, so we have to keep it down. I think we might want to start setting up for bed, but we can still play some quieter games before we go to sleep." Her friends groaned when the screen went black, but complied, pulling out sleeping bags and pajamas and bringing them upstairs. Kim and Alix seemed especially disappointed, but joined their classmates up the stairs to Marinette's room (pre-cleared of all traces of Adrien), and setting their things on the ground. The French-Chinese girl's bedroom was surprisingly spacious, fitting almost everyone except Ivan and Mylene, who volunteered to sleep downstairs when everyone decided to finally get some shut-eye. Alya also advised they change into their sleepwear before doing anything else, in case they got tired during a game and decided to sleep, revealing some adorable pajamas and some composed of old clothes that had grown too ratty to be used as anything else. Lila, Juleka and Rose were admiring each others' nightshirts, Kim and Alix opting to simply pull off their overclothes and change into baggy T-shirts and shorts right there. Adrien meanwhile, sat at his more pretentious air mattress with his bag closed and his face an unreadable expression.

Nino noticed this, and prodded the blond, who jumped. "Hey, why haven't you opened your bag? Forgot your clothes at home?" he asked. Adrien blushed and shook his head. "Oh?" Nino inquired. "Aren't you going to change, then? You don't sleep in that, do you?" he gestured to the model's jeans and cardigan, which seemed comfortable for day wear, but highly impractical for sleep. Again Adrien shook his head, slowly opening the zipper. Nino watched him, puzzled, until his friend pulled out a roll of folded red cotton. Suddenly everything fit into place, and Nino burst out laughing.

Adrien blushed harder when everyone turned to see what had caused the DJ to laugh so unexpectedly, and slowly opened the fabric to reveal a onesie. This would have been unusual, but not as hilarious as Nino seemed to think it was, if it were not for the design. Predominantly red, speckled with black dots. Clearly this had been made as Ladybug memorabilia, and knowing Adrien, he had bought every possible item relevant to the superheroine. Conveniently, he had forgotten that it was a sleepover, and packed this one instead of a more suitable alternative from his father's company.

"Dude, seriously?!" Nino could hardly say two words without cracking up. When he finally gained control of himself and caught his breath, he looked back at his friend, now a deep scarlet. "No, but seriously, man. You are _obsessed_ , dude!" When Adrien didn't respond, he took his hand, forcing the blond to look at him. "Don't worry. You're a model, you'll look fine. But of all the pajamas in Paris, you had to bring the Ladybug ones?" Adrien sighed and mumbled a response, leaving to change in the washroom.

When he came back, everyone stared. They stared for a while. Adrien swallowed, waiting for them to make a sarcastic comment or snide remark, but finally Rose spoke.

"Oh my gosh, that is SO adorable!!!" she cooed. Everyone else joined in, praising the model for having the courage to actually wear the onesie and support the superheroine. Marinette meanwhile, looked about ready to faint, and Alya ran over, ready to catch her in case she did. She didn't faint, but she did slide onto the floor with a dazed expression on her face, frozen and unresponsive to Alya waving a hand in front of her face.

"Honestly, girl," the blogger rolled her eyes affectionately. "You can be so obvious, sometimes."

Half an hour, the group getting over Adrien's Amazing Pajamas, Marinette being revived, and a few games of UNO that destroyed more than one friendship later, the teens finally started to tire out. Rose had already fallen asleep cuddled against Juleka on Marinette's chaise lounge, Sabrina was gently snoring next to the wall, beside Lila who seemed close to doing the same. Ivan and Mylene left for the couch downstairs, and the outcome of the 'who can stay awake the longest' challenge between Alix and Kim would be announced soon. Max would have been asleep long before if he hadn't been the judge, and Marinette was kept awake by the illumination of Alya's phone screen. Finally Nino shut off his phone, muting the headphones on Adrien's ears, and went out within minutes of hitting his pillow. Alya followed, and soon Marinette and Adrien were the only ones awake. Must have been all those nights of staying up late for patrol that kept them from slumber at this time of night.

They spent a while just staring into the darkness, staying quiet so as to not awaken their fellow classmates, before finally deciding that any attempts to fall asleep now were in vain and it would be better to give up. Adrien pushed his blankets to the side, careful not to disturb the people on either side of him, before padding across the room to where Marinette sat up in bed. He sat on his heels beside the bed.

"Can't sleep?" he whispered. She nodded mutely. "Me neither. Wanna do something since there's no way I'm falling asleep in the next hour or so," he offered in the pitch dark.

Marinette froze. Adrien wanted to do something with her? Her mind had suddenly shut down and she was left blinking in the dark silently. She very discreetly pinched herself in the arm and restrained herself from jumping when her skin registered the pain. Adrien was still there, kneeling at Marinette's bedside, asking her if they wanted to do something together. Her mind computed a million different ways this could go, but first she had to make a response while she had the chance before Adrien gave up and left.

 

**Yeah, well, I can't have a Chlonath story without Ladrien, can I? And depending on your all-powerful will, maybe we'll get some Adrienette, too**

**What does Marinette do?**

**A) Agree to do something with him**

**B) Pretend to be really tired so she doesn't risk looking like a dork when she can't form a coherent sentence**

**C) Immediately fall asleep**

**D) Initiate an in-the-dark staring contest since she can hardly talk to him**

**E) Something else, make another course of action in the comments**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, slow burn is slow burn. Also, writer wiggles in other ships because reasons.
> 
> Thank you for your comments and again, please tell me if you find any errors or issues
> 
> Stay amazing Chlonath Nation!


	16. Sleepover's over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Adrienette because why not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there should be another day between updates, but it's the weekend, and I wanted to get this up

**MARINETTE/ADRIEN**

 

“I, uh, okay….sure” Marinette replied, sliding out from under her comforter. Adrien stood up, offering his hand. She took it, and he guided her through the maze of unconscious bodies strewn across the floor, some stirring slightly, others snoring. They managed to tiptoe up the stairs with minimal creaking on the floorboards’ part, and Marinette eased the skylight open. The two stepped outside into the cool night, closing the window gently so as not to disturb the sleeping figures below. Adrien walked to the railing of the balcony, leaning slightly forwards on his elbows as he looked at the view. The girl joined him, and they spent some time just taking in the scene.

“I love Paris at night,” Marinette said, half to herself.

“I know right,” Adrien breathed. “It’s amazing seeing the city just light up.”

“Well, they call it the City of Lights for a reason,” she smiled. “Did you like the party?”

He turned to her, beaming. “Like it? Mari, I _loved_ it! I mean, I’ve never been to a good party before to compare with, but I had an awesome time.”

Marinette blushed and looked down. “Thanks,” she mumbled quietly. “I-I’m glad you had a good time.” she considered his comment about never having been to a good party before, and realized how few he must have ever even been to. “Your dad must be really strict, huh?” the fashion designer asked softly.

Adrien sighed sadly. “No kidding, I didn’t even believe he was actually serious until he asked me if I was ready to leave for here this afternoon. Can you believe it?” He turned his head and gave a soft smile. “I’m so happy he was, though. I had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah?” Marinette said,  turning to face him and suddenly discovering her mouth had actually worked so far. “Just wait until tomorrow. We’re going to have even more fun at breakfast,” she promised.

“Sorry, that’s probably the limit of Father’s generosity. Gorilla’s picking me up at 11 so I can go to a photoshoot.” He noticed Marinette’s disappointed expression. “It’s not like I have a say in anything I do. He pretty much fills my schedule up as much as he possibly can so I never get time to spend with friends, or even make any, for that matter.”

“That sucks,” she sympathized. She bit her lip for a moment, gathering the courage to grab his hand and face him. “You know, sometimes you should stand up to him. It’s your life, and he can’t keep controlling every aspect of it until you’re an adult. You have to break free at some point, show him you can make choices for yourself,” she advised. He glanced at her, smiling sadly.

“I’ve tried, but with my father, it’s a lost cause. Back when mom was still with us, she would sometimes get him to let me do things. But now that she’s gone, there isn’t anyone to try and get him to ease up. I hardly ever see him, but I never see a day go by without hearing ‘Adrien, go to your photoshoot’, ‘Adrien, you have a million extracurriculars because obviously your schedule isn’t full enough’, ‘Adrien, don’t eat more than this ridiculous model diet so you’re still fit enough to pose for commercials’. I’m sick of it all.” He shut his eyes for a beat, trying to cool his temper before he spoke again. “But there really isn’t anything I can do. Even if I do try to rebel, he’ll just take me out of public school and then I won’t even be able to see you guys again.”

Marinette thought about that for a few moments. She wanted to help, but she wasn’t sure how. If she couldn’t help him with his situation at home, the least she could do was bring his spirits back up while he was still there. Suddenly, she discovered a spark of inspiration, and a light bulb turned on in her mind.

“You said you couldn’t sleep, right?” she asked, gripping his hand in a newfound excitement. He nodded in confirmation, and she played a wonderful smile. “Great, follow me. I have an idea.”

***

Adrien watched as Marinette pulled out a variety of mixing bowls and measuring cups from the cabinets. “Baking always helps me relax,” she explained as she rummaged through the shelves for ingredients. “And I thought since you hardly get to eat anything sugary, why don’t we bake some cookies. If you don’t mind of course,” she added, poking her head above the countertop. She placed two baking sheets on top of the oven, which was already heating up.

“Not at all,” Adrien quickly assured her, reaching above her head to grab a tin of baking powder that Marinette was struggling to reach.

They soon got to work measuring and pouring ingredients into bowls and mixing, Adrien attempted to follow the girl’s instructions with relative accuracy. He did end up spilling rather a lot of flour and sugar, and he might have gotten a few chips of eggshell in the dough, but Marinette waved it off and assured him it was no big deal.

Half an hour later, the timer dinged, and the baker’s daughter pulled a tray of paw prints and circles out of the oven, setting the baking sheet down to let the cookies cool. Adrien helped her pour frosting into piping bags, and managed to get most of the frosting onto the cookies instead of all over the counter. Soon, the dark brown biscuits were covered with designs resembling ladybugs and black cats.

Finally, it was time for the taste test. Adrien asked Marinette go first, it was her area of experience, after all, and he wanted to make sure they tasted alright before he tried one.

Marinette selected a clumsily-frosted black paw print and took a bite. She chewed for a minute, frowning slightly, and put the cookie down. Adrien’s heart sank. “Is it bad?” he asked anxiously. “Did I mess something up?”

Marinette looked at the cookie confused. She swallowed and looked around, still frowning slightly. “This doesn’t taste like chocolate...” she murmured, glancing at the countertop of half-closed bags and tins whose lids weren’t on the right way. She walked over, examining the array of ingredients. “Adrien,” she addressed the model. “How much cocoa powder did you put in?”

“Er, 100 grams, like you said. The red tin, right?”

Marinette stopped dead in her tracks.

“Sorry, _which_ tin did you use?” she asked. Adrien pointed to the container of half-spilt brown powder, and Marinette’s eyes widened.

“Oh my gosh, Adrien. That was coffee powder! That’s going to do the opposite of we wanted!” she all but shrieked, eyes quickly analyzing the tin Adrien had mistaken for cocoa powder.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry, Marinette, I had no idea,” he apologized. Marinette finished reading through the label, and put the container back down, sighing in relief. Adrien stared at her as he waited for the girl’s verdict.

“You’re lucky it was decaf,” she sternly told him. “If we used that much regular coffee, you’d be awake until 9 in the morning!” She took another bite of the cookie. “It’s not actually that bad,” she admitted. “Different, but I like it.”

Adrien let out a breath he’d been holding and tried a cookie himself. “You’re right,” he agreed. “But maybe next time I should leave it to the experts.”

Marinette nearly choked on the cookie in her mouth. She swallowed it, quickly downing one of the two glasses of milk on the counter beside them, and exploded into giggles. Adrien put his half-eaten ladybug beside hers, putting his hands on his hips.

“Sorry,” she gasped between giggles. “It’s just so funny-” _gasp_ , “that you confused,” _gasp_ , “cocoa,” _gasp_ , “for-” she burst into another fit of giggles. Adrien couldn’t help it, he joined in too, the both of them laughing their heads off for the silliest of reasons. Finally, they both caught their breath and decided it better not to make too much noise and risk disturbing the people upstairs. They picked up their glasses of milk, filling a plate with the cookies, and quietly moved upstairs. Marinette stealthily snatched a blanket from the hallway closet since it was moderately chilly outside, and the two brought their midnight picnic onto the balcony. They stayed awake laughing and chatting on her balcony late into the night, completely forgetting the presence of the people asleep inside the apartment.

Both their mattresses lay empty that night, and after a handful of early risers begging their friends to wake up and a great deal of panic when Marinette and Adrien were nowhere to be seen, Alya and Nino found the two cuddled beside each other underneath a fleecy pink sheet against the railing, deep in slumber. The blogger decided not to disturb them, but she didn’t forget to snap a picture and use it to blackmail her best friend later on. Adrien’s arms cradled Marinette’s sleeping form, whose cheeks were glowing with sleep and lips curved up in a small smile. Yep, Marinette was going to freak when she woke up. Alya stifled a giggle just thinking about it, and left downstairs to join her classmates for breakfast while the two lovebugs slept on.

It was definitely the best sleepover ever.

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe woke up the next morning to a knock on the door. She groaned, tossing around a few times before getting up to see who wanted to visit her so early. _10:12._ Okay, maybe not that early, but didn’t people realize she needed her beauty sleep?

Her thoughts were interrupted when her butler opened the door to reveal Andre Bourgeois. Chloe stepped out of bed, wrapping a bathrobe around herself. Her father saw her and stopped a moment, as if considering coming back later, but Chloe strode over to him before he could decide.

“Morning, Daddy!” she greeted, her initial irritation disappearing when she saw who it was. Her father rarely found the time to meet with his daughter between politics, and so she treasured every moment she did get to see him.

“Morning, darling,” he responded. “I hope I wasn’t disturbing you, I just thought I might spend some time with my little princess since I hardly ever get to.”

“No problem,” she assured him, beaming when he called her his ‘little princess’. “But why are you here now, and not later?” he usually only found time in the evening or during noontime breaks from political discussions.

“Er, well, you see,” he started. “There is something I wanted to discuss with you.” He motioned for them to sit on the couch and she followed, curious and slightly taken off guard. _What could he want to talk to me about?_

“Um, okay,” she offered.

“Well, see, Roger and I were having a little chat a few days ago and he was talking about how you and Sabrina seem, well, a bit distant these days...” he faded, expecting Chloe to shed some light on the topic. “Apparently she thinks you’ve been changing. The staff also seem to have noticed a shift in your demeanor.” Andre’s tone was concerned, tinged with suspicion. “Are you feeling alright? Stressed? Perhaps you’re having social problems-”

“No, no, I’m completely fine, Daddy. It’s really nice that you care about me so much, but there’s really nothing wrong,” she reassured. “Promise,” she added when he still looked suspicious.

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it. But then what’s caused the sudden change in attitude? The staff are incredibly concerned about your recent behavior, and so am I.” He looked at her with an expression of worry and care. Chloe bit her lip, unsure of how to describe her situation.

 

 **Let’s help our new part-time superheroine out. How should Chloe explain her predicament?**  
****A) Reveal her secret** **  
**B) Claim she found a conscience and try to back it up with some weak justification** **  
** **C) Give him some long-winded and highly unlikely story, involving a dream, a fairy godmother, and a vengeful troll** **  
** **D) Fake an emotional breakdown to change the subject** **  
** **E) Other, comment down below** **  
**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see more tomato. Hopefully...


	17. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe has a meltdown and Nathaniel helps out a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this wasn't my best.
> 
> Please let me know if I made any mistakes
> 
> Thank y'all so much

** CHLOE **

 

“Well,” Chloe started, trying to come up with something off the top of her head. “A friend of mine told me that I should really start taking responsibility for my actions, and….well, I’ve been trying, but recently I started thinking that maybe I need a change...” _Well done, Chloe,_ she mentally chastised herself. _Now you sound like a stupid goody two shoes. Curse you, Pollen._

“Oh?” Har father looked legitimately surprised at his daughter’s unlikely epiphany. “Well, it’s interesting that you decided you should change yourself. Er, if you don’t mind, may I ask,  which friend gave you such thoughtful advice? Sabrina doesn’t seem the type to talk to you about such things.”

Chloe froze. _Darn it, even when I_ do try _to do something good, it always ends up against me!_ As soon as the mayor left, she was going to strangle that kwami. Right now, though, she pushed all her murderous thoughts to the back of her mind and coughed, giving herself every extra millisecond to come up with a response and satisfy her father’s curiosity. Chloe didn’t want to think bad of Andre, she really didn’t. He was one of the few people she hated lying to, since he was one of the only who actually looked at her as a real person. But now the girl was really getting irritated with her father’s pressing questions, and she didn’t have much of a choice but to give him transparent lies and cross her fingers behind her back praying he would stop the interviewing there.

“You’re right, it wasn’t Sabrina, no,” she said slowly and deliberately. “I’ve actually...decided to make some new friends in the last few months...” she closed her eyes, hoping he would accept the vague answer and cut the asking there. When she opened them again, his face was still expressing concerned bemusement, and all hopes of closing the matter were quickly snuffed out.

“Is that so? I thought it was only Sabrina. You did, after all, try to avoid making friends with those other, er, _common_ students, didn’t you?” Chloe silently scolded herself for upholding that standard. Of course, every suggestion from her father to try and make new friends she had put down with a flat “I don’t make friends with peasants”, and that was the end of it. If she could go back and tell her 12-year-old self not to be such a snob and make things harder for _herself_ , she’d be spending a lovely morning having breakfast with her dear Daddy, not sitting in her own bedroom being scrutinized by him. _Well,_ Chloe finally decided, readying herself, _desperate times call for desperate measures._ She took a deep breath and released, purposefully making it waver on the way out.

“Oh, Daddy,” she sobbed, pushing tears through to the outside of her eyes from years of practised emotional blackmail. “Sa-Sabrina d-decided to, to ditch me f-for t-that _new_ girl who just arrived, and I-I was s-so upset I had to go find s-somebody else t-to be my f-friend.” She winced. Chloe knew it was weak to throw her friend under the bus like that, but Sabrina hadn’t been exactly loyal to her these past few weeks. And the whole acting thing was cringy, but if she could let out a few decent tears her father would stop and it would be at least one less thing to worry about. At least she wasn’t wearing mascara this early in the day. It would be a nightmare to clean her face after _that_.

“A-And so, the new friend s-said, t-that if I wanted t-to be friends with her, I-I’d have to ch-change myself. S-So I’m trying, I’m trying s-so hard, and now you came and got a-a-angry at m-me because I was t-trying...” she blubbered, covering her face with her hands. Peeking through her fingers, she watched her father soften and change to an expression of guilt.

“Oh, Princess, don’t cry!” He immediately apologized. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize, but why would Sabrina do that...actually, perhaps it would be better to let you handle it. You seem to be doing well on your own, and I’m not sure I have any right interfering in my daughter’s friendships.” He patted her on the back, attempting to soothe her fake sobs. Chloe let her shoulders wrack a couple more times before collecting herself and giving him a crooked smile, wiping her eyes.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered. “I knew you’d understand.”

She leaned back into his touch and relaxed. As much as she hated having to resort to emotional blackmail, she loved the way he comforted her afterwards, just the way he would when she was younger and scraped her knee. Nowadays they hardly ever saw each other, and as much as she appreciated the expensive gifts he always presented her with, it wasn’t the same as actually having him there to be a father.

After a few moments, the hand that was rubbing slow circles into her back slowed, then stopped, and she straightened up again.

“Well, now that that’s done, I thought we might spend some time together today. Of course, unless you have other plans, but I am free today, so I thought why not spend the day with my little angel,” he offered. Chloe beamed.

“That would be perfect, Daddy,” she told him sincerely. And she followed him downstairs for breakfast and a day of long-due father-daughter bonding.

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

“Nathaniel, wake up!”

The artist groaned and rolled over.

“I don’t want to...” he mumbled, stirring but not awake.

“Nathaniel, I mean it. I thought you said you were supposed to meet with Theo today!”

“Just give me ten minutes,” he grumbled, spitting his hair out of his mouth.

Duusu sighed and flew forward, poking him in the cheek. He responded by turning his head to the side and shutting his eyes tight. She tried again, but he simply stuffed his face in the pillow and resumed snoring.

“Well, then,” the blue sprite decided. She floated to his nightstand and picked up the glass of water there. She carried it back, careful not to let it spill, and dumped the contents into his hair. Nathaniel jumped and almost fell on the ground.

“Okay, okay. Jeez, you didn’t need to splash _water_ on me. I’m awake now, happy?” The redhead rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shuffled out of bed, pulling on a sweatshirt and picking fallen blankets and pillows off from the door.

“I had the best dream last night,” he said aloud to no one in particular. “I dreamt that I was a superhero working for Gabriel Agreste. How crazy is that?” Evidently, the boy was still half-asleep and still blind as ever to the kwami in the room. He yawned, rubbing his eyes again, and finally seeing his room properly. He didn’t see much though, until his vision was blocked by a huge blue blob.

“That wasn’t a dream, for your information, and you’d better hurry up because you’re supposed to be at Theo’s workshop in ten minutes!” the blue thing snapped.

Nathaniel stared in shock. He stared and gaped for a good minute or so. He even pushed his bangs away from his left eye to make sure he was seeing right. He pinched himself a couple times, too, and Duusu couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Before you ask, I’m definitely real and this is definitely real, and the fact that you’re due somewhere in-” she glanced at the clock, “eight minutes is also definitely real so I suggest you get ready!” she poked his face to snap him out of shock, and he yelped.

“Okay, yeah, sure,” he replied opening his closet to find something to wear. “So last night was real, too? I’m really a superhero?” he asked, pushing hangers aside to figure out what to wear.

“Yes, it all really happened and you are a superhero, though not a fully-fledged one, yet,” Duusu pushed in front of him and pulled out the least emo clothes she saw. As soft-spoken and quiet the redhead was, his clothes were practically screaming “look at me, I’m a rebel!”, and she was surprised that he managed to stay so invisible despite them.

Nathaniel re-emerged from the bathroom five minutes later, shoved the brooch into his pocket, tossed his sketchbook and supplies into his bag, and dashed down the stairs. He took off running for Theo’s workshop, stopping only to catch his breath once he had arrived.

The teen skidded to a halt on the smooth floor of the art studio, nearly tripping over an open can of paint as he made his way to the sculptor.

“Sorry,” _gasp,_ “I’m,” _gasp,_ “late,” he panted, collapsing on a stool. “I overslept.”

“I figured,” Theo chuckled. “Although you might want to catch your breath before we start. I also got Jalil’s sister to help me out, so we’re almost set up.” He gestured to the pink-haired girl who was kneeling in front of a sheet of canvas spread on the floor. She turned her head at the mention, noticing the new arrival.

“Oh, hey, Nath,” she greeted. “Didn’t see you at Marinette’s party last night.”

“Oh, uh...yeah,” he responded. “I was, um….really busy yesterday so I, uh...couldn’t come.” He had been with Gabriel last night, so it wasn’t technically a lie.

“Whatever you say,” Alix shrugged. “It was awesome though. You should have seen me beat Kim in Call of Duty, he got _destroyed_.” She finished pouring the paint, standing up to return the can to Theo’s workbench.

It was then that Nathaniel really noticed the canvas Alix had been working on. Large puddles of solid color were spaced evenly in a square shape, four circles each of red, green, yellow and blue. It looked rather a lot like…

“Twister,” Theo finished the thought for him, joining him where he stood. “I thought I’d try a different kind of painting this time,” he explained as Nathaniel’s mind try to process why Theo needed his help to dump paint in pools on the floor.

“So, you needed me here...because…?” Nathaniel asked, confused. The sculptor smiled.

“Well, see, it’s pretty simple. You and Alix are going to play a game of Twister, except, instead of playing on plastic, you’re going to be using this,” he motioned to the canvas, “instead.”

Nathaniel processed what he had just heard. Waking up on a Sunday morning to help a friend was one thing, but trying to test his flexibility on a sheet covered with wet paint was another entirely. Alix seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Wait, so we’re supposed to play Twister….on this?” she asked dubiously. “But the paint is still wet...”

“Exactly,” Theo smiled enthusiastically. “The colors will end up mixing with each other and create an entirely original design!”

Nathaniel agreed it was a creative method of painting, and probably would have shared his friend’s enthusiasm if he wasn’t the one who was about to get twisted into a red-haired knot or fall down spectacularly on his face. Last time he checked, paint didn’t have a very pleasant flavour.

“Don’t worry,” Theo assured them. “I’ve got extra clothes if yours get dirty, though I do recommend you take off anything you value, just in case.”

Alix shrugged, pulling her shirt off. If it was any other girl, Nathaniel would have immediately blushed and lowered his eyes. But this was Alix, she could walk around in only a sports bra and shorts and nobody would challenge her. Which is exactly what she was doing. Nathaniel followed, putting his shirt and jacket on one of the storage boxes against the wall. He kicked his shoes off, stepping carefully so he wouldn’t poke his bare feet on a stray nail on the ground, and joined the roller skater on the edge of the canvas. The sculptor produced a game spinner and settled onto a school, waiting for them to get ready. At their signal, he nodded, flicked the plastic arrow, and they began.

***

They were ten minutes into the game, Nathaniel discovered he was capable of a lot more bending than he had previously believed, though that didn’t make it any less painful, and Theo was still adamant about forcing them to go on until the colors were properly mixed. Already, the redhead’s violet pants were streaked with green and yellow, and his neck ached from being turned the wrong way. The All-Great Spinner of Fate landed on “Left Hand on Blue”, though the artist himself could hardly distinguish which color was which at this point, when they heard a _BOOM_ outside. Nathaniel almost jumped, but Alix was bent over top of him searching for the spot, and the impact of the explosion caused her to fall on him, landing them both on the ground and sitting in paint.

“Akuma,” Theo murmured unconcernedly. “We’re in here, though, so you don’t have to worry about going anywhere. Left foot on yellow,” he announced.

Nathaniel rubbed his head from the fall, suddenly sitting up when Theo mentioned it. He glanced at his jacket, the pocket bouncing slightly.

“Come on, Theo, give us a break,” Alix complained, shifting her leg so it wasn’t a movement away from breaking. Said sculptor/painter glared at her.

“No. I can’t have you getting up in the middle or else it’ll ruin the painting,” he settled.

Nathaniel looked back at his jacket, now bouncing higher and higher. He turned back to Theo, whose eyes were back on the spinner. He sighed.

 

 

 **What’s a part-time superhero to do? I mean, Theo’s his friend, after all…**  
****A) Straight up leave** **  
**B) Finish the game quickly and then leave** **  
** **C) Convince Theo to let him use the bathroom, then go** **  
** **D) Tell him why he needs to go** **  
** **E) Other, comment down below** **  
**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have done so much better, but I'm not going back and changing it now.
> 
> Again, please tell me if I missed something since I didn't proofread this
> 
> Hope you all have a great day/night/life :)


	18. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some interaction in and out of suits....not much, though...

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe had originally been ecstatic about being a superheroine, impossibly impatient for an akuma attack so she could finally catch Ladybug and become her best friend. The Midasa incident had been an unfortunate attempt, and she had missed her chance then but she reasoned the next time she could always try again. She was almost _waiting_ for another akuma after that, but when one finally arrived, she couldn’t be less reluctant to transform. Andre had taken her shopping in her favorite stores, accompanying her to dine at a fancy restaurant for lunch, and now they were supposed to be at Paris’ best dessert cafe, if a villain hadn’t interfered with their plans.

She tried to ignore the akuma while her father browsed through the options, but soon a bruise was forming in her side from Pollen’s incessant poking, and she had to be excused to the washroom. Pollen flew out the moment she shut the door.

“Chloe, what are you doing?” the kwami urged. “I know you want to spend time with your father, but the safety of Paris comes first! And maybe try not to be so aggressive this time,” she added, noting the scowl on her Chosen’s face. “You’re supposed to be a role model, remember all the time we spent practising your manners?”

Chloe huffed, unenthusiastically pulling the corners of her lips up. “Better,” she asked, baring her teeth in what more resembled a raging lion than a cheerful girl.

“Just think of it this way,” Pollen suggested. “You’ll be keeping your father out of danger, and the more help the team has, the faster the akuma is gone, and then you can go back to your dad!”

Chloe sighed. “Okay, I guess you’re right,” she admitted. “Pollen, stripes on!”

 

***

 

When Queen Bee arrived at the scene, she was met with a sight of chaos and panic. Civilians were running all around screaming, and the local superheroes weren’t faring much better. Chloe didn’t know where the villain was, but after observing the action for a few moments, she discovered they liked two things: hiding and explosions. They’d hide behind some structure, and whenever they sensed someone getting too close, promptly detonated some kind of bomb in their face, and moving to another hiding spot before the smoke cleared. The villain moved so fast, she could have sworn they were teleporting. Buildings lay in pieces and parents were desperately trying to find their children underneath the rubble.

Rena Rouge spotted the bee-themed superheroine and called her over to help her lift the remains of a roof over a group of terrified children. Queen Bee lassoed the roof with her trompo to pull it higher as Rena lifted it using her flute as a lever. The children ran out from underneath, and the two superheroines dropped it again.

“Thanks,” Rena smiled, running along with her on the ground while Queen Bee flew towards the others. “Didn’t really get to meet you last time. Who are you, again?”

“Queen Bee,” Chloe replied through gritted teeth, speeding up so she was ahead of the fox-themed girl. Rena simply boosted her own speed so the two were at the same pace.

The two finally veered to a stop when they reached Ladybug, Chat Noir and Carapace, who were nearing the Eiffel Tower, trying to avoid blasts as they located the akuma. The explosions were getting bigger and more violent, and the Trocadéro lay in ruins. One small benefit of the destruction though, was that the akuma was running out of places to hide, and resorted to using the smoke as a means of concealment. Queen Bee hovered above them, finally able to catch a glimpse of the akuma’s steel armor. The helmet, in particular, stood out even underneath the smoke, flashy splotches of neon orange and purple. She used her trompo to wave away the smoke from the blast, though another explosion less than a second later blocked her view again.

“I think the akuma’s in their helmet,” she called to the group of heroes, who were closing in on themselves as the villain circled around them, trapping them with a round of successive blasts.

“Yeah, but I can hardly see them in this smoke, let alone get their helmet,” Ladybug pointed out as the akuma backed out to find more structures to use as hiding places. They finally abandoned the group, running towards the Eiffel Tower. The group chased after the villain, Queen Bee finally calling on her superpower to help subdue them. However, the wave of honey she summoned missed the target, instantly crystallizing around a light post instead. She groaned as her comb beeped, signalling the start of a five-minute countdown. Carapace was already down to his third minute, having shielded the team from a particularly powerful explosion back at the Trocadéro. Rena’s hypnotism didn’t seem to come in useful in stalling a villain relying on speed and bombs, so she hadn’t used it.

The akuma sensed the superheroes on their tail, and left a trail of grenades in their wake, throwing them randomly behind them as they ran for the tower. Ladybug and Chat Noir, the only ones still energetic enough to keep running without taking a break, were forced to swerve around each blast, attempting to catch up with the villain who was simply too fast for them. Every swing of the red yoyo fell or wrapped around a grenade instead of the helmet, and Chat’s pole wasn’t helping him reach the akuma in time. He finally vaulted himself onto the observing platform on the Eiffel Tower where the villain was, but that moment, the akuma detonated a series of bombs that would evaporate anyone within a ten-mile vicinity. Ladybug cried out to him, but it was useless from where she was. Just then, they heard a sound, clear above the chaos and disorder below.

“FREEZE FRAME!” Someone shouted, and suddenly, everything stopped.

Rena and Carapace kept running, Queen Bee was still zooming after them, Ladybug was using the spring she had summoned to launch herself after her black cat-themed counterpart, and Chat kept advancing towards the villain, dodging the explosion that had frozen mid-air. Rena and Carapace halted, confused as to what had just happened, Queen Bee following, but Chat didn’t waste a moment, quickly activating Cataclysm to destroy the part of the tower the villain had caged themself in, and handing the helmet to the ladybug-themed girl to destroy. She smashed it just as everything else fell back into motion, purifying the butterfly while Chat shielded her from the blast. She threw the spring up into the air, and a storm of ladybugs swept through Paris, repairing all damage.

Carapace quickly ran off, his transformation having expired, and Queen Bee and Rena Rouge joined the remaining team members atop the Eiffel Tower, where an unfamiliar blue-clad superhero had arrived.

“Sorry I couldn’t come earlier,” he was saying. “I was busy with some things and by the time I was done it was kind of late.”

“No problem,” Ladybug assured him, fingers flying to her _bleep_ ing earrings. “Sorry, no time to talk right now. Maybe later we could do a formal introduction, at night patrol? You, too, uh, Queen Bee?” she added, noticing the other girl. Chloe nodded.

“Sounds good,” Paon agreed, winking at Queen Bee. Ladybug saluted in goodbye, and took off swinging over rooftops. Chat Noir followed after her, vaulting himself in another direction.

“Well, guess I’ll see you at night patrol then,” Rena commented, and swiftly left after them, leaving Queen Bee alone with Paon.

“What exactly was that wink for?” she asked quizzically. She had plenty of experience with smitten boys, and she knew that a wink never meant anything good.

“No reason,” he replied cheerfully, practically bouncing on his hoverboard. The way he grinned at her innocently, combined with his lively and annoying spirit reminded her of Kim back in école - playful and young and mischievous, and also slightly adorable. Chloe shoved the thought out of her mind, remembering her father, and also the beeping comb in her hair.

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I have to go, so I’ll see you tonight.”

“You too,” he smiled, waving as they parted ways. He flew a few minutes, then leapt through the window of a graffitied art studio, releasing his transformation. Where there had just been a bright blue superhero now stood a small floating god and a paint-covered teenaged boy.

“Hey, Nath, you done in there yet?” A voice called from the other side of the door. He groaned.

“Coming, Theo,” he called back, ignoring the fact that he was still caked in acrylic despite being in the bathroom for the sole purpose of washing it off, and opened the door back to the workshop.

 

***

 

Chloe woke up the next morning feeling fairly happy. Last night’s patrol had been less patrolling and more getting to know one another. They had explained their powers, strengths and weaknesses, the basic superhero information, but also some personal things. Chloe learned that Chat Noir loved pastries although his kwami preferred cheese, bringing a bag of cookies to share. They tasted like coffee, but he insisted it was decaf and they must try them. Carapace was pretty relaxed the whole time, sharing random things he’d found on the internet that made them all crack up. Even Rena Rouge wasn’t bad, she seemed welcoming and open, and even took a selfie of the three girls together. Chloe hated to admit it, but she was warming up to the fox-superheroine. They definitely wouldn’t be friends, but maybe she could accept her as a teammate. Then there was Paon. The guy simply would not stop talking. Once Rena revealed that she was also a fan of comics, they went off on a full-blown discussion about fictional superheroes, arguing whether Marvel or DC was better, blah, blah, blah. Eventually, Chloe got bored of listening to him chatter away, and started a conversation with Chat Noir, who seemed to be an otaku, like herself. Ladybug and Carapace called them weeaboos, but they ignored the comment, launching into their own chat about anime. _Chat_. Chloe chuckled, then stopped herself. That cat-boy had used so many puns, she wondered if it was humanly possible. Although he didn’t talk as much as Paon ( _did that guy ever shut up?_ ), he never completed a sentence without including at least three puns.

The events of last night flashed through her mind as she ate breakfast and changed. She was still going over it as she pulled half her hair up into a ponytail, securing it with the Bee comb. Every remembered joke, every shared laugh pulled at the corners of her lips, and she sighed contentedly at the feeling of just having fun with other people. They almost felt like friends, but not the kind that Sabrina was, or even Adrien. Them, she had bossed around and dominated. With the superhero squad, she felt less like she had to control everything, more like she could just relax and converse; laughing with them instead of at them.

Everything was going fine until she saw Sabrina waiting for her in the lobby of Le Grand Paris, just as she had been doing every morning for the last four years. She was about to beckon Sabrina to join her to school, as she had been doing every morning for the last four years, when she suddenly remembered what she had told her father yesterday. A slight guilt settled in her stomach, but she ignored it when she saw her father coming down the stairs. Immediately she put on an expression of utter disregard, walking past the ginger as if she weren’t even there. She didn’t look back as she stepped into the car, shouting at the driver to move when he kept the car still waiting for the other girl who usually accompanied the heiress on the way to school. Chloe couldn’t help but glance back as the car sped off, but she wished she hadn’t when she caught sight of her friend, _ex-friend_ , staring after the car dejectedly. Her stomach twisted, and she tried to assure herself that she was fine, and that Sabrina deserved it, but she couldn’t get the image of the girl’s sad expression out of her mind.

When they reached the school, Chloe stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut without another word to the driver. She purposefully ignored the group of people surrounding Marinette, and strode into the classroom even though there was still some time before class started. The room was mostly empty save for a few people, Kim was anxiously copying answers from Max’s homework and a couple people were dozing off. She sat down at her usual spot before realizing that Sabrina would be beside her, and she couldn’t bear to look at the orange-haired girl after what happened that morning. She quickly scanned the room to find another place to sit, finally deciding on the currently-vacant seat next to a currently-sleeping redhead. Lila’s seat.

Chloe knew Lila would be furious when she saw Chloe had taken her spot, which she very well deserved after stealing her friend from her. Honestly, if Lila hadn’t wooed Sabrina to her side in the first place, Chloe and Sabrina would have still happily been friends. A seat not next to Sabrina, and a passive-aggressive message to _Lie-_ la, yes, this place was perfect. Of course, there was the slight drawback of having to sit beside that emo artist freak, but she supposed it was a small price to pay for the reaction she could already envision on the Italian girl’s face. She let out a small giggle, stifling it quickly before Kim turned around to look at her in confusion.

The rest of the class gradually trickled in, Sabrina simply sat down without looking at Chloe, and Lila glowered at her before giving in and taking Chloe’s usual spot in retaliation. Mme Bustier looked slightly confused at the change of seating, but let it go, starting roll call. As usual, Maritrash burst in at the last moment, claiming she had to use the girls’ room. She went through all the names, simply glancing at the head of flaming scarlet when it came to ‘Kurtzberg, Nathaniel’ instead of calling his name. Chloe realized that she actually hadn’t heard Nathaniel’s name called during roll call for a while, and wondered if he slept like this in class often. _Lazy weirdo_ , she thought, poking him slightly in a feeble attempt to wake him up before the lesson started.

It wasn’t until a little while later did he stir, sitting up and blinking his eyes a few times. He stifled a yawn, pulling out his tablet and stylus, still oblivious to the blonde next to him. He also pulled out another book, distracting Chloe from Mme Bustier’s lecture on the use of the guillotine during the French Revolution. Though she’d never admit it, she was slightly curious about what he drew in his sketchbook. He usually kept it secret, and though she was above him and wouldn’t give him the time of day any day, she was right there and might as well take the chance. If anything, it gave her more blackmail material.

She hadn’t noticed herself sit up a little straighter and lean over his shoulder ever-so-slightly, but Nathaniel chose that exact moment to realize who he was sitting beside, and the hand that was about to open the sketchbook instead dropped to the desk and a pencil clattered to the floor. He turned his head to acknowledge someone who wasn’t Italian sharing his desk, and she saw his eyes, _eye_ , widen. The artist stared at her, mouth open slightly. She stared right back at him, though she wished she could see both his eyes. Her fingers itched to move the hair away from his left eye, but she clenched them into fists and restrained herself from commenting on the streaks of blue and greenish residue that looked like the remains of paint after several attempts to wash it out. She only knew because once Kim had spilled a cup of it onto her head in elementary art class, which was why she never took art again.

Chloe also took that moment to realize how she had never noticed the redhead’s eyes. Well, _eye._ She doubted anyone had ever seen both his eyes. But the one that wasn’t obscured by a curtain of hair was a bright, clear turquoise. It was the blue of the ocean waters on the beaches of the resorts she vacationed at every summer. It was entrancing and the itch in her fingers to see both of them intensified tenfold. The girl shook her head slightly, bringing herself back to the moment. She threw the foolish thoughts out of her brain. _I am Chloe Bourgeois,_ she reminded herself sternly. _I don’t stare into freakos’ eyes. Especially not if I can’t see both. For all I know, he could have an eyepatch on the other one! Maybe he’s a pirate..._ Chloe had no idea where the ridiculous idea was coming from, but she waved it off, turning her head away from the artist’s.

“I know I’m gorgeous, but you won’t get anything by sitting there gawking at me,” she informed him airily.

At her words, the boy snapped out of a daze, jerking back to reality.

 

**Your time to decide; how does tomato respond to this?**

**A) Blush and look down, apologizing**

**B) Defend himself**

**C) Roast her**

**D) Ignore her**

**E) Other, comment**


	19. Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gets hit by some long-due poetic justice, but it's a little later than it should have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The responses last chapter were so varied, so I just went with the suggestion from our local Sith-in-training. Also, Chloe is not having a great day

**NATHANIEL**

 

The artist didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he finally woke up it was in a nightmarish dimension where he was sharing a desk with teen queen _Chloe Bourgeois_. He had to shake himself a few times to convince himself that he wasn’t still asleep, and that, indeed, his former bully was beside him, apparently attempting to get a glance at his sketchbook, which he hastily shoved back into his bag.

“What are you doing here?” He finally asked after a long moment of awkward staring. Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Sitting, obviously,” she responded sarcastically. “Is that suddenly against the rules? Or are you just not able to see properly since you only use half your eyes.”

Nathaniel felt a twinge of annoyance. Ever since he’d been in Chloe’s class ( _a sentence for a crime he didn’t realize would be punished so harshly, what had he done, again?_ ), the redhead had seldom seen the girl without her ginger lackey at her side. It was a valid question to ask why she was here and not at the front of the room where Lila was sitting.

“I was just wondering why you weren’t with Sabrina and here, of all places. Jeez, no need to get so defensive,” he snapped back. Chloe looked taken aback for a moment, but maintained her arrogant resolve.

“It’s none of your business what’s going on between me and Sabrina, so keep your nose out of it. And, for your information, this will be my seat from now on, so I suggest you get used to it.”

She stuck up her chin and turned back to the teacher, expression changing to appear very interested in whatever the woman was saying, while Nathaniel took several moments to process the horror of her statement. From now on, he’d have to share his desk with _Chloe_?! What had he ever done to deserve this?

The artist supposed karma had decided that he was too happy after becoming a superhero, so now he needed something to lower his spirits. Well, it had certainly worked. He could kiss goodbye to any hope of drawing in class without being noticed, which had been difficult but not impossible when Lila was there, as well as any chance of catching a nap while Madame droned on to make up for the sleep he missed thanks to insomnia. Sitting beside Chloe would also mean...he realized with a gasp, that she would be more or less automatically partnered with him on group projects, which the girl was infamously known for not participating in. Honestly, her other group members could better complete the assignments without her presence altogether; she was more of a disadvantage since, instead of just not helping, she made the task much more difficult for the people actually doing it.

Nathaniel was so distracted in his train of unhappy thought, he didn’t notice the rest of the class staring at him until Mme Bustier asked him if he was alright. It was only then that he realized that his face had gone pale and how wide his eyes were. He coughed into his jacket slightly, assuring her that he was fine so the class shrugged and turned back to their tablets.

“As I was saying,” she continued. “This is a _group_ effort that will count for 10% of your grade, so I would advise you do your best and work together as a team.” She scanned the room for nodding heads and bored faces, glaring at Chloe who _hmph_ ed and inspected her nails indifferently.

“And before you ask,” she looked at Kim, whose hand had already shot up into the air. “ _I_ will be making the group assignments.” Kim’s hand dropped and he looked disappointed, mirroring Nathaniel’s feelings. He glanced at the blonde beside him, silently praying to the powers that be that he wasn’t in her group. The teacher looked around for other questions before beginning the sentences.

“The groups are,” she read from a sheet. “Adrien, Marinette, and Nino,” Alya patted her friend on the back, “Alya, Max, Mylene,” they nodded in confirmation, “Kim, Ivan, Alix,” Kim leaned over to tap the pinkette on the shoulder, and Nathaniel held his breath, waiting for the next assignment, “Rose, Juleka and Nathaniel.” He breathed in relief, meanwhile Chloe looked crestfallen. She immediately raised her hand to ask for reconsideration, and Nathaniel stifled a laugh remembering the fight between her and Lila a few weeks ago. He ignored her demands to the teacher, picking up his bag and quickly moving over to the next desk, where Rose and Juleka were already beaming.

“I’m so glad you’re in out group!” Rose gushed. “I was scared for you, that you might be in Chloe’s group, but you’re with us!” Nathaniel couldn’t agree more, and he glanced at the blonde who was sullenly marching to the front and nearly tearing her designer handbag in half, before directing his attention back to the adorable couple.

“So,” he flipped through Juleka’s notes. “What are we supposed to be doing again?”

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

As Chloe reluctantly picked up her things and walked back to the two people she wanted to talk to the least, she felt her cardigan shift slightly, Pollen discreetly reminding her to hold her tongue. At this point, Chloe would have accepted an assignment with Maritrash and Blogger-Girl over this. Anyone but Sabrina. _Everyone_ but Lila and Sabrina. Fate was certainly pitched against her.

Sabrina was still resolutely ignoring the blonde when she awkwardly deposited her things beside the desk, figuring they wouldn’t be welcoming her to share their desk space with them anytime soon. Lila was glaring at her, but rested on a satisfied smirk as Chloe struggled to come up with something to say. Chloe could feel Pollen poking her in the side again, and she closed her eyes, tensing.

“Uh, hey,” she greeted them carefully. “So we’re in the same group on the project, heh. Believe me, I don’t want to be working with you any more than you want to be working with me.” Sabrina huffed slightly, and Chloe tried her best to ignore the guilt twisting in her stomach.

“Nice to know that we’re on the same page,” Lila responded with a threatening smile. “Sabrina told me how you ditched her this morning. Really, it’d be a miracle if _anyone_ wanted to work with you, no wonder you have no friends!” She laughed, and once again Chloe found herself furiously regretful of her foolish past. She also couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit betrayed by her old friend, of course Sabrina would have gone to Lila after that, but it still felt a bit like she shouldn’t have told someone else about her and Chloe’s friendship status.

No matter how hard Chloe tried to deny it, deep inside she knew she deserved this, and she hated it. She hated that she couldn’t even argue with whatever force was making her life miserable, under the blissful illusion that she was in the right and fate was being unfair. But it wasn’t, and every single thing that was happening to the girl had been brought upon her by herself.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her raging emotions, and pulled out the sheets the teacher had handed out. Chloe hoped that, even despite their rocky relationship, either girl might be feeling generous to provide one of their notes since Chloe had been distracted by Art-Freak, and was also quite incompetent at taking notes. Years of using Sabrina’s had not given her any experience in paying attention in class to write anything down.

“So,” she smiled tightly. “Which part of the French Revolution do you think we should explore?” She flicked through the pages quickly, trying not to focus on the horrible sinking feeling in her gut.

Lila was still watching her carefully. “Actually,” she decided after a few moments. “ _We_ won’t be doing anything. You will. After all, you’ve had Sabrina do all your assignments alone before, so this time, it’s your turn to do all the work.” she smiled evilly and Chloe resisted the temptation to slap her.

“But Mme Bustier said that it’s a group effort,” Chloe responded, already aware of the hypocrisy in her statement, which Lila unhelpfully pointed out.

“Really? That hasn’t stopped you from forcing everything onto other people before,” she commented. “And do try and do a good job on it, it’s 10% of my mark, so I can’t have it failing, can I?” She added, leaning back into her seat and turning on her phone. She opened an app and started scrolling unconcernedly, turning the screen to Sabrina and showing her something. Chloe wanted to grab the phone and chuck it across the room, get Lila into trouble for using it in class, but she could already see the irony of it. After all, hadn’t she been doing the same thing Lila was doing now for all these past years. Acting entitled and above the rules, strutting around doing as she pleased without worrying about consequences. She knew that she could have Lila in trouble with a single call to her father, but Lila knew that she knew that she wouldn’t. It was sheer hypocrisy to even try and challenge any of the Italian girl’s points, because all of them were valid and everyone knew it, including herself.

But what was she supposed to do on a group project worth a tenth of their final grade? Her mind was spinning from each possible course of action, but none of them were in her favor without some major drawback. Instead, she asked Madame if she could use the girls’ room, taking off as soon as she got outside the room. The moment the washroom door closed behind her, Pollen darted out, looking concernedly at the heiress. Chloe half-hated herself for being so conceited before, and half-hated the kwami for making her realize it. She could have gotten rid of the floating fuzzball, going back to her previous life of arrogance and esteem, but part of the god’s advice had lodged itself in what she supposed was a newfound conscience, realizing that at this point, even if she disposed of her, she wouldn’t be able to act the same way again. Pollen seemed to read her mind.

“Trust me Chloe, I know it’s hard to try to change when other people won’t believe you can, but if you keep trying, I promise things will get easier, and you won’t regret the effort.” she assured the girl.

“Yeah, but it’s just...Sabrina, and everything is just so...” she sighed, trying to explain. Pollen nodded understandingly.

“At least you have a secret alter-ego,” she pointed out. “You can work on being a good person as Queen Bee, and people won’t judge you for being a bad person before,” she soothed.

“I know,” Chloe mumbled. “But what’s the point if people only believe one side of you, and not even the real side?”

“Well, maybe, if they’re understanding enough, they’ll give you another chance when you prove you’re worth one.”

“I guess you’re right,” Chloe agreed. “But what am I supposed to do right now?”

 

**The Powers that Be must make this choice for her. What _is_ a former bully-in-redemption to do?**

**A) Insist that they're a group and try to explain that's she's trying to fix herself (dunno if Sabrina takes it, but it might be worth a shot)**

**B) Do the whole thing on her own as best she can (Lila will either be shocked and realize Chloe isn't bluffing or try to take advantage of this a leverage to demote her)**

**C) Do the whole thing herself but make it AWFUL and hand it in saying Lila did most of it**

**D) Tell the teacher**

**E) Other, any ideas?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm torn between thinking I went over Chloe's internal struggle too much or too little. I guess I'll let you decide...
> 
> Also, I adore all your lovely comments :D


	20. Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel gets an unwanted reminder of his insufficiency in school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been kind of busy lately, but here's a chapter that totally doesn't make up for it. I'm sorry

** NATHANIEL **

 

Chloe still hadn’t returned to the classroom when Mme Bustier signalled the students back to their respective desks. She finally rushed back to her desk minutes before the teacher dismissed them, crashing down on the seat in a flurry of pages. Nathaniel didn’t bother helping her pick them up, shoving his own things into his bag and rising before she could demand assistance. He made his way to the door where Alix was already waiting for him, but not before Marinette hastily ran in front of him.

“Hey Nath,” she said quickly. “Look, I’m really, _really_ sorry about the party. I completely forgot about inviting you, but I _promise_ I’ll remember next time,” she assured him. Nathaniel had to pause for a moment to remember what she was talking about; he had nearly forgotten in the excitement of the rest of the weekend.

“No problem,” he affirmed, waving it off. When she still didn’t look convinced, he added, “really, it’s fine. I was kind of busy anyways...”

“Oh, okay,” she sighed in relief. “But I’m still really sorry.” With that, she left to join Alya on their way to Mme Mendeleiev’s room. Alix caught up with him outside the door.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

“Oh, not much. Marinette just wanted to say sorry for forgetting to invite me, that’s all,” the redhead explained. Alix’s eyebrows jumped.

“Forgot you? I thought you said you were busy!” Nathaniel backpedalled quickly.

“Oh, right, yeah. She actually forgot to invite me, but it’s fine since I had other things to do. Hey, you didn’t get the paint out either, huh?” He changed the topic, noticing the discoloration in her own messy pink locks.

“Yeah,” she agreed, patting her ponytail. “I washed it four times, but it still wouldn’t get out!”

“That’s why you shouldn’t use acrylic for these kinds of projects,” he pointed out. “It doesn’t wash out of clothes, either.” The artist gestured to the black jeans he’d been forced to wear in place of his usual purple.

“That was my favorite shirt, too!” she exclaimed. “Hey, you know how he wants us to come back this weekend to see how it turned out? I’m thinking we should get him back for making us play that ridiculous game and ruining our clothes.”

“Hmmm,” he pushed open the door to the science lab. “What did you have in mind?”

“You’ll see,” she responded cryptically as she left for her own desk, wearing that wicked smile he knew could never mean anything good.

Nathaniel shrugged and headed for the back, remembering that Chloe was going to be here, too. He sighed and moved his stool to the far right edge of the desk so he could talk to Rose while Mme Mendeleiev was busy copying equations onto the board. The heiress arrived soon after, but this time she was significantly more subdued as she took the seat next to the redhead. He quickly moved his chair back when the teacher turned around to face the class.

“I have finished marking the tests you wrote last class,” she announced as she handed them back. “And it cannot be more obvious that some people are not cut out for this class. You have two weeks to come back to me for a redo, otherwise you will keep the mark you have received.” She slammed a sheet down in front of the redhead and he groaned at the large red “C” in the corner. “I advise you start working harder to bring your mark up to scratch, because it’s only going to get more difficult from here on out.” She spoke to the room at large, glowering at him in particular, and he swallowed, turning his paper over before Chloe could see it. She was looking at her own sheet disappointedly, glaring at him when she caught him looking at her.

Mme Mendeleiev finished handing back the tests and reclaimed her place at the front of the room.

“Nathaniel, see me after class,” she decided. “Adrien as well. Now open your textbooks to page 421,” she instructed, and the class obeyed as she assigned that night’s homework - an essay on the laws of gravitational forces in buoyancy. She waited as they copied down the assignment, gesturing for them to begin.

Nathaniel tried not to think too hard about what she wanted to talk to him about after class, propping his textbook up in front of him. He put his head down on the desk and closed his eyes to the cool tabletop. He could hear Chloe absently turning pages beside him, muttering now and again about something or other. She seemed distracted, though, so he figured he’d take a chance and extracted his sketchbook from his bag before he could reconsider. He pulled out his pencil and eraser, angling his neck downwards as he swept the lead down the edge of his ruler to draw a few boxes, and lost himself in drawing comics. Chloe was trying hard to get a glance at his page, but he simply moved further right, brought the standing textbook closer in front of him, and bent his head lower so her view of his work was blocked by his hair.

The artist didn’t realize the bell had gone until he heard the rustling of paper and books being tossed back into bags around him. He sighed, closing his sketchbook carefully so Chloe wouldn’t see anything, and taking down his textbook wall. Nathaniel picked his bag off the floor and held it against his chest, walking toward his certain doom. Mme Mendeleiev stood up in front of her desk, and Adrien was telling Nino to meet him outside before joining her with a bemused expression. _Please don’t let her call my parents_ , the redhead prayed, already imagining their disappointed reactions.

“Nathaniel, I’m sure you’ve noticed your average in Science is dropping pitifully. I’ve given you several reminders, but you really haven’t been doing much to improve, and I’m going to have to notify your parents if this continues.” Nathaniel nodded mutely. “This is why I have decided you need some help in bringing your grade up to an acceptable standard. Adrien,” she turned to the blond. “I want you to tutor Nathaniel, make sure he understands everything we learn in class since he does seem to get distracted quite often.” Nathaniel scowled but kept his mouth shut.

“This is, of course, only if you have the time. I’m sure your schedule is rather full as it is, but if you might be able to find the time...”

 _Please say no, please say no_ , Nathaniel willed, trying to telepathically communicate to the model to spare him from the embarrassment.

“Sure,” Adrien agreed cheerfully. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I might be able to a couple times a week.” Nathaniel groaned.

“Excellent,” Mme Mendeleiev smiled. “Sound good, Nathaniel?”

 

**How does Nathaniel respond?**

**A) "No, I can do fine on my own, thanks.”**

**B) "Uh, sure...”**

**C) "Sorry, uh, I’m actually busy...”**

**D) "Actually, I think Adrien’s too busy to.** **_Isn’t that right, Adrien?_ ** **”**

**E) Other, any ideas?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I kinda pushed Chloe to the side and introduced this completely irrelevant sub-plot for no reason. No reason at all...  
> Sorry 'bout that. Oh, well, I'm too tired, too bored, and too lazy to go back and change and/or redo it. So you can keep this trash for now ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	21. Homework

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS! Stuff happens. AKA, the sorry piece of utter waste I have the guts to present to you after leaving you hanging for a solid week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this chapter could have been a lot better. I feel like I made Chloe really OOC, but I honestly don't have the energy to go back and rewrite those parts, so maybe if you guys had some suggestions on how to improve her, I'd value that a lot.
> 
> Stuff happens, I dunno if this chapter is what you were expecting after the mini-hiatus, but I've had a lot of stuff from school and yeah, I haven't really felt inspired to write in the slightest, but when I really push myself I can get things done. And don't worry, y'all don't need to feel like you're pressuring me in any way, but I have made some goals for myself this past year that I intend to reach, and you just really help keep me motivated :D
> 
> Also, spoilers in this chapter. I dunno if y'all saw the new episodes an' teasers, but I've kept up with all of them, so get ready for a whole lotta spoilahs.
> 
> Also, also, nice lil' wall o' text in the end notes ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**NATHANIEL**

 

“Actually, I think Adrien’s pretty busy as it is. He probably doesn’t have the time to tutor me. _Isn’t that right, Adrien?_ ” He tried his best to emphasize the last line hoping that would get his meaning across. Unfortunately it didn’t.

“Let me check my schedule,” Adrien responded, pulling out his phone. He looked up a moment later, putting it back in his bag. “No, I have some time today and on Wednesday, I think. Are you free this afternoon?”

Nathaniel tried to hide his disappointment and annoyance. “Er, yeah, sure,” he agreed reluctantly.

“Great,” Mme Mendeleiev approved. “Adrien, you go over some topics we learned in class, and Nathaniel, _do_ try and bring your grade up. Off you go then,” she ushered them out of her room, returning to her desk to pack up her things.

“I have a photoshoot right now,” Adrien told the redhead as they walked down the stairs. “But we can meet at my house in an hour. I’m sure my father won’t mind since it’s for school. I’ll text you the address,” he promised, catching up with Nino at the doors. Nathaniel nodded and followed them down the steps, pausing a moment as the silver limousine sped off before turning around and heading home.

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

Meanwhile, the daughter of the mayor of Paris wasn’t faring well either. She must have gone through six shelves already in pursuit of information on the French Revolution, feverishly pulling out random books that looked promising and adding them to a growing pile on the table next to her. She tossed _Marie Antoinette: Traitre ou Innocent_ onto the teetering stack and it gave way, books falling into a mess of dog-eared pages and worn bindings. Chloe sighed and squatted to pick a volume off the floor, deciding to end her search and sift through these first. She pulled out the nearest chair, collapsed into it, grabbed a book, and started skimming.

Her nose crinkled in disgust at the old pages, a stain or tear on every other one. Whoever had used it in previous years was a major slob, and here and there obscenities were scrawled in pen and hastily crossed out so a teacher wouldn’t find out. The ink was fading, too, and her head was already hurting just looking at the minuscule print. _This is what Sabrina should be doing_ , she thought resentfully, before remembering why she was here in the first place. _Of course, when I’m done the assignment and convince her to be_ my _friend again, this’ll be her job again. Maybe I’ll even force Lie-la to do it if I feel nice enough..._

Chloe must have been sitting at the table for a good hour, poring over the information for anything useful, Pollen helping her sort through them. Finally, they had narrowed the selection down to two, and Chloe yawned, picking them up to check them out. She called her chauffeur to come pick her up, and within ten minutes she was back in her own hotel suite.

The blonde dropped her things on her bed the moment she got inside, and fell down into her luxury sofa. Jean-Claude appeared a moment later with a platter of chocolates and a massage at the ready.

“So how was mademoiselle's day today at school?” He asked, rubbing her hands.

“It was awful,” she complained, leaning back into the couch. “Mme Mendeleiev put me in a group project with Lila and she’s making me do _all_ the work. First she stole Sabrina from me, now this!”

“May I ask, what happened between you and Sabrina?” the man inquired. “You used to be so close, now you hardly speak of her. And I saw her this morning, looking very upset. Is everything alright?” He sounded caring, and Chloe spent a moment debating whether or not she should tell him. After all, she trusted her butler far more than anyone else, except, possibly, her own dear _Adrikins._

“Well, see, ever since that stupid Lila girl came to Paris, she’s been convincing everyone to be her friend by telling them how she’s _so_ famous and all that. Ha! I asked Jagged Stone downstairs, and he said he’s never even heard of her. What a faker, right?” Chloe scandalized the Italian girl and Jean-Claude nodded in understanding. “Well,” she continued. “I thought Sabrina would know better than to fall for Lila’s stories. But instead she ditched me, and started hanging out with _her_ instead!” The butler stood up and joined her on the sofa, patting her on the back reassuringly. She brought her knees up to her chin.

“And even after I started trying to be nice, Sabrina was still ignoring me, and then I started ignoring her back, and now she hates me and so I hate Lila and her stupid lies!” she spat, hiding her face in her knees. She sat there fuming for a few seconds, then looked back up at him. He was watching her quietly, then spoke.

“I think that mademoiselle should go and apologize to her friend Sabrina,” he suggested. “She should tell her friend about why she was ignoring her so no one is hurt and she knows why you did what you did.” Chloe thought about that. Jean-Claude watched her a moment, then nodded, getting up and leaving her in pensive silence. Pollen waited until the door clicked, then zoomed out of the blonde’s bag.

“He was right, you know, you should really go tell Sabrina what’s really happening. That way you’re being honest with each other and she won’t make her own assumptions,” the kwami told her.

“Apologize to Sabrina? No way, can you imagine how awkward that would be? Impossible.” The heiress dismissed the idea flatly, retrieving her research materials and opening her laptop. “Now, about the _sans-culottes_...”

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

“Hey, Nathaniel,” Adrien greeted him through the rolled-down window of his limousine as the vehicle entered the estate. “You haven’t been waiting too long, have you?”

“Uh, no, just a couple minutes. The gates were already open,” the redhead explained.

“Oh, okay, just follow me then,” the model beckoned him as he pushed open the doors to the mansion. Nathaniel couldn’t help but marvel again at the luxury of the entrance, the decor was dull but crisp and elegant, modern and sleek but not homely, and various pieces of art hung about. Gabriel wasn’t there, but there was a women walking towards Adrien who Nathaniel assumed was his...caretaker?

“Good afternoon, Nathalie,” the blond acknowledged her, and Nathaniel nodded along. Nathalie looked at the redhead oddly for a moment before turning back to Adrien.

“Good afternoon Adrien,” she replied. “I spoke to your father about revising your schedule and letting you drop some extracurriculars. He says he’ll think about it.” The blond looked disappointed, but smiled at her nonetheless.

“Thank you Nathalie. Also, could you ask him if it’s okay if I’m a tutor a few times a week. I don’t think father would mind too much, since it’s for school.”

“I’ll talk to him. Good afternoon, Nathaniel.” She inclined her head at the artist in acknowledgement, still eyeing him slightly strangely, and hurried off. Nathaniel was left staring after her, wondering how she knew his name. Adrien snapped his fingers in front of the redhead’s face.

“Hey, you coming?” He asked.

“What? Oh, yeah, sorry.” Nathaniel followed the model up the stairs to his room, which, like the entrance, took him off guard by the sheer size of the place. It was practically the size of his entire house, maybe even two.

“Pretty awesome room, huh,” Adrien commented, voicing the other’s thoughts. He put his bag down in front of the sofa and took out his science textbook.

“So, Nath, what topics did you need help with?” He asked, thumbing through the chapters. “Can I call you that?”

“Yeah, Nath is fine,” the redhead agreed, sitting down beside him. “I’m just kinda confused with the whole average density thing...”

 

***

 

About an hour later, Nino and Marinette arrived, so Nathaniel quietly left before they could notice him and ask questions, leading to some very awkward and very unwanted conversation. He was about to pull open the door and leave but Gabriel appeared and forced him to follow the man up to his study, which Nathalie was just exiting. Nathaniel watched her walk away, taking a moment to wonder if she knew about him and the Peacock Miraculous. She was, after all, the fashion designer’s own assistant. He brushed away the thought and followed Gabriel through the door, closing it softly behind him before taking a seat.

“I know I said we wouldn’t be meeting again for some more time, but today is also rather convenient since you were already here,” he explained, smiling another smile that would do better on a Halloween mask.

“Yeah, sure, but maybe make this quicker,  cause like, I kind of have to go home and my parents are probably waiting, and...” Nathaniel gestured vaguely. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry, all I wanted was to discuss your recent experiences as a superhero. What did you think?”

“Oh, yeah, it was awesome. It was so surreal, like it felt too good to be true but it did happen so I was kinda in denial for a little while. I still am, actually,” he admitted.

“That’s natural. You have familiarized yourself with your kwami?” he asked, and Duusu flew out of the redhead’s jacket.

“We did, and I’ve already made a list of things I’m going to help him work on,” she affirmed.

“Good,” he nodded. “Now we also discussed a few lifestyle choices. We won’t have to worry about being inconspicuous and discreet, since you’re already quite adept at going unnoticed,” he remained oblivious to the artist’s look of shock and annoyance, “but being a superhero also requires physical strength and ability, which you are quite clearly lacking. You don’t have to be _muscular_ , but you should be fit and strong enough to fight villains on a fairly regular basis. Of course, physical strength goes hand in hand with diet. I don’t know what you usually eat, but you’re going to want to lean towards the healthier side of the menu from now on.” Nathaniel groaned, remembering the vile meals his mother tried to get him to eat. He didn’t eat much, but what he did eat was definitely not what someone would call healthy, he thought as he remembered his precious candy stash at home.

“Now, on the ground,” Gabriel suddenly ordered, and Nathaniel was lying on the floor on his stomach before he could process what had just happened.

“Fifteen push-ups, 1, 2...” the man counted as the redhead struggled to push himself up from the ground. The foot weighing down on his back wasn’t helping much either.

“Come on, you can do it. Keep your form completely flat, just use your arms to push yourself up and down.” Nathaniel failed miserably at following any one of these directions, collapsing on the ground gasping for air after the fifteenth ‘push-up’.

“Good, now you’re going to do that every morning until the next time we meet. I said two weeks last time, so we’ll keep that date. Make sure you do it _every_ morning, or I will know,” Gabriel threatened, removing his foot so Nathaniel could get back up. “You are free to go.”

Nathaniel took a few minutes picking himself up, and he nearly fell down the stairs from exhaustion. He dare not make a sound though, or else Nino and Marinette would find out and he couldn’t have that happen. He ignored the cheerful chatter coming from Adrien’s room and somehow made it back home, falling onto his bed and taking a little while to just collect himself. Duusu popped out of his blazer pocket and rolled her eyes.

“You’d better get used to it,” she told him. “He’s only going to make it harder.”

Nathaniel groaned and flopped over on the bed.

 

***

 

_raspberry_rollerblades is online_

**raspberry_rollerblades:** ugh

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** kim is soooooooo annoying -_-

_pretty~in~pink is online_

_goth.queen is online_

**pretty~in~pink:** hey nath

 **pretty~in~pink:** when can you work on the project?

 **goth.queen:** im mostly free 2nite wbu

_nightshade!comics is online_

**nightshade!comics:** sry just got back home

 **nightshade!comics:** i’m kinda busy 2nite

 **nightshade!comics:** maybe tmrw?

 **pretty~in~pink:** sure

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** help me

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** boys are idiots

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** no offense nath

 **nightshade!comics:** none taken

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** oh well

 **raspberry_rollerblades:** i guess ill just try and do as much as i can…

 **pretty~in~pink:** good luck

 **goth.queen:** bye alix

 **nightshade!comics:** bye alix

_goth.queen has left_

_raspberry_rollerblades has left_

_nightshade!comics has left_

**pretty~in~pink:** bye alix

_pretty~in~pink has left_

 

 

***

 

**FRIDAY**

 

_beep-beep-beep-beep_

“Ugh, just stop already...”

_beep-beep-beep-beep_

“Lemme sleep…”

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEP_

“Okay, fine! I’m getting up...”

Nathaniel was in no mood to wake up on Friday morning. They had just fought a hyperactive supervillain last night, and his entire body was aching and sore from dodging flaming bananas while getting soaked and blinded by torrents of rain. Go figure. The prospect of the oncoming presentation wasn’t much to boost his motivation, either.

Forty-five minutes, a hot shower and two cups of caffeine later, a light-headed ginger staggered into the History classroom of Collège Françoise Dupont high school. He collapsed into his seat and tried hard not to fall asleep right then and there. Chloe appeared a few minutes later, looking even worse than he felt, resting her forehead on the wooden desktop and was out in seconds. He didn’t bother trying to wake her up, instead taking out his notes to read them over a few times. His field of vision was out of focus and the words were swimming on the cards, making him even more dizzy and nauseous than he already felt. A tiny sneeze from inside his jacket told the redhead his kwami wasn’t faring much better. Nathaniel sighed, realizing he had forgotten to feed her this morning.

Chloe stirred beside him, moaning softly. She lifted her head to look around blearily.

“Whatumsit” She mumbled, mouth hardly moving, head low.

“Sorry?” he asked.

“Wha-tim-sit?” She repeated louder, words still slightly unclear. He looked at her confusedly for a few seconds before realizing what she was asking.

“Oh, uh, it’s 8:27. There’s still a few minutes before roll call. You okay?” he asked, noticing the redness of her cheeks and the sweat on her forehead.

Chloe sighed, ignoring his question, or maybe she didn’t hear him. She tore open her bag, snatching out a  highlighter and a stack of index cards, and started furiously flipping through them, haphazardly highlighting keywords and information here and there. She went through them a couple more times before putting them down and relaxing. The blonde massaged her temples and held her head in her hands for a few moments before noticing Nathaniel staring at her.

“Chloe, really, are you okay?” He asked again.

“Not really,” she admitted. “I was up until one last night and I’ve been awake since five working on the project.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t come to school,” he remarked, realizing now how much heat she was radiating. “You seem really warm.”

“No way,” she sighed, cupping her chin in her hands so she could look at him. “I might be feeling awful, but I can’t just miss school because of that,” she managed to snap back despite her obvious state of dishevelment. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail and her usually flawless makeup wasn’t helping to hide the fact that her body temperature was way higher than it should have been.

Chloe yawned, closing her eyes for a minute and resting her head on the desk again. She shivered slightly, pulling her cardigan more tightly around her, and sat back up, blinking before her eyes glazed over. Nathaniel glanced at the mocha he’d brought with him, just in case the first two espressos weren’t strong enough (they weren't), and looked back at the shivering blonde beside him.

**What does Nath do?**

**A) Offer her the coffee**

**B) Drink it himself**

**C) Hide it before Madame finds out**

**D) Ask Chloe if she's sure she'll be okay**

**E) Other, suggestions are very welcome**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for an onslaught of ranting. I warned you.
> 
> Now you know why I put Adrien as Nath's tutor, hehe. Tbh, this was also a very small shout-out to Adrinath, my other favorite tomato ship, but don't worry, it's all LoveSquare and Chlonath in this fic. Unless the Powers That Be decide otherwise O.O
> 
> Chloe and her butler is definitely a detail from season 2, but I've already told you about spoilers, so I really don't know what else to say, other than I LOVE that Jean-Claude* is the perfect father figure for Chloe (Audrey Bourgeois can go die in a hole)
> 
> Yeah, I headcanon the Alix&Nath&Juleka/Rose friendship that's becoming a trope in this fandom. I love the dynamics and how it could work out, so yeah, there's that.
> 
> Now, time for some notes and comments on season 2 and how it affects this story
> 
> So I found out that Lila isn't actually in their class. This pretty much trashes this entire fic, but who cares. Lila-in-their-class AU, everyone! Actually, come to think of it, where *is* Lila? Four episodes in and not so much as a mention of the most successful akumatized villain who was literally defeated RIGHT BEFORE the first episode. Am I missing something, or...?
> 
> The Collector doesn't really change that much about this story so far, since I've deliberately kept Gabriel pretty secretive and mysterious until we get some canon stuff, and yeah. A whole bunch of headcanons are now canon-canons, and a bunch of others have been jossed out the window. Bye-bye Mr.Kubdel!Moth!
> 
> Despair Bear, omg. I could go on and on and on about this episode forever, but I'll spare you from my ranting. I can literally take every single second of this episode and tell you something I LOVE about it and why it was so awesome (not perfect, but close enough). I don't care that Chlonath hasn't sailed yet, but they have INTERACTED with each other which is GREAT. Though it does make some of the interaction in this story a little OOC, I'm just gonna roll with it
> 
> Prime Queen (for some reason I forgot this episode existed?), doesn't really...change...anything...Except maybe poor Chloe gets thrown around and someone help my poor bee daughter. I'm not overlooking the great Chat stuff that was really the only thing I liked about the episode, but it really doesn't tie into this story in any way except for the fact that Nadja is kind of a jerkass, and Ladybug is still oblivious as hell.
> 
> The Befana, I know it's only been released in French, but wow. Can't say I like her grandma all that much, I know a thousand people will fight me, but that's my opinion. Also, my story gets jossed out the window again because Mari is officially 14, that's right peeps, 14! How Alix is 15 and they're in 10th grade is anyone's guess, but I counted the candles, and I passed elementary mathematics, so either the show is wrong or our education system is. Pick your pick. Also, also, my story gets really jossed out the window because Mari gets a surprise party, not her own party, and Nath is there. Not only is he *just* there, they also focus on him in a couple frames, so yeah, he's /definitely/ there. Guess Zagtoon got pissed after all the "where's Nath" comments on the Marinette's Birthday Party webisode on Youtube, so they went "fine, you want tomato, here's tomato. HERE'S TOMATO, OKAY. WE DIDN'T FORGET HIM. HE'S RIGHT THERE!" Also, I don't personally /like/ Marichat (don't kill me please). I've just never felt anything about it like I usually do with Adrienette, Ladynoir, LADRIEN and CHLOONNNNAATTTHHHH scenes. But the Marichat scene was actually SO adorable, and Chat's lil' double peace out thing (some reference to anime that I didn't get cause I don't watch anime) made my heart literally melt into a pile of mush. And I won't even start on the Adrienette bracelet, that was pure gold, okay?
> 
> Riposte is coming out in a few days, and I know the fandom is initiating a flame war on this topic (this is like the Lila fandom war all over again), but I'm not really a fan of Kagami. That's right, if you wanna take back your kudos (haha, nice try), un-bookmark my works, and delete all your comments because Allya is a troll who doesn't understand that lil' Kags is cute-patoot that needs to be protected, go ahead. My opinion can and probably will change, but at this point she seems kinda snobbish with her expressions and visual attitude. Again, opinion subject to change, but it's my opinion and you have yours, so please don't turn this into another fan-war. Heaven knows I won't be participating if that happens.
> 
> *I'm going with Jean-Claude because that's the most consistent name we have at this point, having been referenced/mentioned in both Evillustrator and Despair Bear
> 
> TL;DR - I love season 2 so beware of spoilers and jossed elements of this fic


	22. Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor sick children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned from the dead. No, actually, I'm really sorry for being so invisible. I had like 5 projects this week and last, and, in any, my inspiration and will to write were mostly comatose until a re-awakening today.
> 
> I'm still in total denial that a) I have as of now written 30k+ words (WHAT?!), b) people actually like this story (O.O), c) this fic and my other one have over 700 hits each (!!!), and, d) a whole bunch of totally irrelevant other stuff.
> 
> CHLONATH NATION FOR THE WIN!!!

**CHLOE**

 

“Take this,” the redhead offered, pushing a paper travel cup towards her side of the desk. “You look like you could use some.”

“No thanks,” she turned her nose up. She might be feeling like trash, but she wasn’t about to accept drinks from commoners.

“Come on,” he insisted, pushing it closer to her. “I swear I haven’t drank from it yet.”

She tried to maintain her resolution, but the smell of warm coffee and the steam radiating from the cup overtook her senses and she snatched it, taking a long sip. Chloe immediately regretted that when she felt the hot liquid scald her throat, and she bit the inside of her cheek as the surface of her tongue went rough.

“Are you sure you didn’t want it,” she asked, slamming the cup back down as she fanned her mouth. “You don’t look that great yourself.” It was true, his skin was pale and translucent, and he was leaning forward onto the desk like he was going to throw up.

He shook his head no, and dropped it into his arms as Madame started roll call.

Adrien’s group went up first. Chloe inwardly cursed Marinette for being so cheerful all the time, despite being visibly exhausted as she walked to the front. In fact, Adrien and Nino both looked tired, too, though they hid it well. The model’s visage was flawless as always, but he couldn’t conceal a yawn as he joined his group, and Nino had to be prodded awake from a nap just so he could present. The presentation was well done, the blonde had to admit, and she might even have possibly enjoyed it if she hadn’t been feeling so low. Doing the project on her own had given her somewhat of a new appreciation for her country’s history.

The next group went up, presented, and sat back down, and the sick artist beside the heiress had fallen asleep a few times, only to shake himself awake and prompt the girls in the next desk to ask him if he was okay. Chloe didn’t realize she had zoned out, staring right through Juleka at the opposite wall, until said girl motioned to the front of the room where Mme Bustier was smiling patiently and Lila was snickering. The blonde resisted the urge to growl, and grabbed her note cards, heading to the board.

The presentation went well enough, Chloe supposed. Lila, the fraud she was, took it to herself to read the most important points herself, in a tone that suggested she had read them a hundred times before and not just for the first time now. The mayor’s daughter could hardly hold back a giggle, though, when karma bit the Italian in the back as the credits slid by devoid of the brunette’s name. Mme Bustier looked slightly confused as Lila waved it off as a mere glitch, flashing the teacher a winning smile. The redheaded woman made a note on her clipboard, and Chloe walked back to her seat with a smug feeling that their final grade would put the faker in her place.

Nathaniel was shaking as he stood up, but even so, he managed to get to the front of the room to face the class. Chloe watched as she sipped the now-cooler coffee, feeling much better with the combination of triumph and caffeine running through her veins. The boy’s eyes were glassy and he seemed more distracted and uneasy than usual, voice trembling as he read out the words projected on the board. His cheeks were bright, face becoming a light shade of green, and Chloe hoped he wasn’t going to throw up. Both of them let out a sigh of relief once Mme Bustier had finished making her comments, and Nathaniel headed back to the desk shakily when suddenly his legs gave way and he went out cold.

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel remembered walking towards the desk at the back of Mme Bustier’s classroom, and the next thing he knew, fluorescent lights were glaring at him from the ceiling of the nurse’s office. He blinked the stars out of his eyes before sitting up suddenly, and regretted doing so when his head spun. Chloe was watching him concernedly from a chair by the door, and once she noticed him awake, quickly walked over to his bedside.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice sounding partly concerned, partly scolding. “You were doing just fine, well, not fine, but you were okay, and then you just passed out in the middle of the aisle!” Nathaniel groaned.

“Well, I’m anemic, so that might have something to do with it,” he mumbled tiredly.

“Yeah, you were also sick enough that you fainted! Why’d you come to school if you were going to pass out or throw up?!” she sounded irritated.

“And you probably would have been the same. Why’d you come to school if you had such a high fever?” he snapped back.

“Because I have to have perfect attendance for my school record. The only way I’m not coming to school is if I’m in a coma and I’m strapped up in a hospital bed with a dozen tubes sticking out of me! You, on the other hand, should maybe take care of yourself and stay home if you’re going to faint!” she retorted. He didn’t look convinced, and she sighed.

“Did you even have breakfast this morning?” she questioned, tone more patient but still annoyed. Nathaniel had to think for a moment.

“Uhh...I didn’t really have time to eat...I think I had a _pain au chocolat_ , though.” Chloe facepalmed.

“You idiot. So you came to school sick, and you didn’t even have a proper breakfast this morning?! How are you even alive at this point?!”

“Well, I mean, I had a couple espressos and stuff...”

“A COUPLE ESPRESSOS?!” The nurse had finally walked in, and she sounded appalled. “What is it with this generation and caffeine abuse? You’re far too young for coffee, boy! A couple espressos...” she shook her head, clicking her tongue disapprovingly, and pulled an instrument from the rack behind him.

Nathaniel allowed her to check his mouth, ears, heartbeat, the standard check up and she nodded to herself. Then she stuck the thermometer in his mouth, snatching it out after a few minutes.

“Hm...” she evaluated the reading. “You temperature is a bit high, but you don’t have a fever. I’m still sending you home, though, it’s better to get rest and be able to enjoy your weekend without having to stay cooped up in bed.” Nathaniel sighed and hopped off the bed as the nurse motioned for Chloe to sit.

She repeated the same procedure for the heiress with similar results, proclaiming that they both should go home and spend the rest of the day to relax and stay away from major physical activity. Chloe obliged defeatedly, and the nurse ushered them out with an aspirin each. Nathaniel wobbled unsteadily towards the classroom, and the blonde wondered if he’d be able to walk all the way home like this. The redhead followed her in, and she gathered her things while he informed the teacher that the nurse had dismissed them. Mme Bustier took the slip of paper and he collected his own belongings, leaving to join Chloe on her way to the locker room.

The two students parted ways towards their respective lockers, and she made sure the artist was out of view and earshot before letting her kwami zoom out before her. Pollen crossed her arms.

“I told you it was better to stay home,” the bee shook her oversized head.

“Whatever,” Chloe rolled her eyes. “At least I presented. That’s what was important, and besides, if the nurse hadn't forced me to get a check-up, I could have been in class. I was fine after Nathaniel gave me that coffee.”

She exchanged contents from her bag to her locker and vice versa, slamming it shut once her bag was full of the right things. Chloe pulled out her phone and was halfway through dialling her chauffeur before she paused, peeking around the divide to the most uncoordinated redhead on the other side.

"Or maybe," she murmured half to herself, "I could return the favor..."

 

**If Chloe's acting too nice, don't blame me, blame the fever for messing with her head. Anyways, how should Bee Child repay Smol Tomato for his generosity?**

**A) Offer to take him home in her limo**

**B) Transform in Queen Bee and take him home**

**C) Reconsider and ditch the idea**

**D) Let him go home himself, but later transform into Queen Bee and bring him soup and stuff**

**E) Other, suggestions???**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the guest who apparently commented using (5?) different usernames for the idea of the sans-Lila credits on the presentation :D
> 
> I know I'm making Chloe really OOC, and although it isn't really justification, I've already more or less set her up and she's sick so she's not completely in her right mind...? In any case, I'm really not very motivated to go back and change her, so here's a Totally Unrealistic!Chloe for ya
> 
> Also, I know I'm really bashing Lila for the sake of this fic. I'm fairly neutral when it comes to Lila, I don't necessarily /like/ her, but at the same time I'm very open and welcoming to a possible redemption. However, that does NOT justify her actions, which is why I prefer not to take sides ;)
> 
> Also, also, This chapter is shorter than usual, but it took a lot of effort for me to get this up, and I hope to get back on regular posting soon, so I hope y'all will take this as proof I have not deserted you.
> 
> Thank you to all you amazing readers and commenters. Y'all really make my day and you're all totally fabulous people. I love y'all so much ^w^
> 
> P.S. I watched Riposte, and I'm officially on Team Kagami!!! I initially disliked her, but after watching the episode, I'm much more supportive XD


	23. Little Acts of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe decides to take pity on the tomato

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a comment for those of you who have been keeping up with season 2, similarities between Befana and Midasa from chapter 10 are purely coincidental. Who'da thunk?
> 
> Also, I really love every comment that gives constructive criticism, advice, or just appreciation. They really boost my motivation to write, and overall just brighten my day in general :D
> 
> I don't really have any actual beginning notes for this chapter, so, without further ado, here ya go!

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel followed the blonde out the door and down the steps, clutching onto the railing like a lifeline while Chloe briskly descended and yanked open the door of the limo that appeared out of nowhere. The redhead ignored her and turned right on his way back home before a shout stopped him.

“Get in, loser!” Nathaniel whipped around to see Chloe poking her head out the still-open door. He looked at her confusedly.

“Me?” he asked flusteredly.

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Yes, you. You don’t think I’m going to let you walk home like that, are you? You’ll get hit by a car and cause a lot of commotion and then there’ll be so much property damage, not to mention the insurance fees, which you most definitely will not be able to afford. So get _in._ ”

She waited for him to process her order, groaning when he still looked completely dazed. Chloe pulled herself out of the vehicle and grabbed the redhead by the wrist, dragging him back to the car. She tugged the boy into the car and slammed the door shut.

“Uh, where are we going?” He asked, still clearly lost.

“The Louvre so we can go look at paintings and sculptures. _Obviously_ I’m taking you home. Gosh, get a grip and start thinking sensibly before I reconsider my generosity,” she snapped, motioning to the chauffeur to start driving. Nathaniel recalled his address in midst of his bleary state of mind, informing the driver before Chloe made another comment about his mentality.

The cars zooming through the window were a mere blur and the speed of the limo was giving Nathaniel motion sickness and Chloe noticed this; she tapped her finger on the front seat and asked her chauffeur to slow down before the redhead lost his breakfast. Or lack thereof, in this case. Finally the car jerked to a halt and the ginger artist staggered out. He paused for a moment to breathe before shuffling to the steps. He turned back and raised his hand in a feeble gesture of thanks, and he could barely make out the blonde inclining her head in acknowledgement before the limo sped off again. Duusu popped her head out of his blazer, eyelids drooping.

“Hey, Nath, could you maybe get me some ice cream or something?” she asked weakly.

“Oh, sorry, Duusu. Right away, sorry.” He fumbled for his keys and unlocked the front door, the kwami nodding and returning back to her comfortable place in his jacket.

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

As soon as she got back in her hotel room, Chloe dropped her things on the ground, collapsed on the bed, and fell asleep. Pollen decided better not to wake the exhausted girl and helped herself to some macarons. She ate four before joining her chosen in slumber on the bed. Jean-Claude came in a short while later to ask the heiress about her early absence, but when he saw her sleeping form on the bed, he quietly left, softly closing the door behind him.

A couple hours later Chloe found herself under a soft blanket, a bowl of soup and a mug of tea at her bedside and a towel and hot water bottle beside her pillow. She groaned, sinking back into the pillows and closing her eyes again. Chloe hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep again until a growl of hunger tore through her stomach and a flash of sweltering heat passed through her, forcing her awake to press a hand to her stomach and ease the pain. She kicked off the blankets and felt around for the damp towel, bringing it to her forehead to cool her down. The cloth became unbearably warm after a few moments, and she tossed it aside, bringing herself to a sitting position and running a hand through her slicked hair. Her skin felt warm and sweaty and disgusting as Chloe peeled off her clothes to take a shower. The moment the cool water came down she relaxed, quickly bringing the temperature higher when the cold actually reached her and sent a shiver through her body.

Chloe re-emerged from the bathroom about half an hour later, feeling much fresher and cleaner and considerably more hungry. Jean-Claude had replaced the cold soup with another and was waiting for her when she came out.

“How is Mademoiselle feeling today?” the butler asked as he poured her a cup of ginger tea.

“Awful,” she responded bluntly. “But I feel a little better now, just really hungry.” Chloe felt another pang of hunger and pressed down once more, but this time it was accompanied by a searing pain lower down. She groaned inwardly.

Jean-Claude smiled and handed her the soup, which she sipped immediately. Her tongue was still raw from the coffee earlier, but the creamy liquid soothed it and she sighed happily as it nullified the emptiness in her stomach. She finished the bowl in a matter of minutes, drinking it as fast as she could without sacrificing common manners, and passed the empty bowl back to her butler. He took it, offering her the tea, which she also finished quickly.

“Thanks,” she told him gratefully, leaning back into the headrest now that the food was finished. The butler chuckled and gathered the used dishes, picking them up to take them back to the kitchen.

“Now Mademoiselle should rest so she can feel better and be able to spend her weekend doing better things than lying in bed,” he reminded her. Chloe bobbed her head up and down, her eyes closed in peaceful satisfaction.

“I’ll do that,” she agreed. “Oh, and can you bring me some chocolate?” she asked, the pain in her lower body bringing itself back to her attention. Jean-Claude nodded and left, leaving the blonde alone in the room, save for a fuzzy bee-like creature who was hidden at the moment. The moment the door closed, Chloe shifted on the bed and sank deep into the mattress, a growl escaping her lips. Pollen flew over to her, a worried look on her face.

“Are you okay, Chloe?” she asked concernedly.

“No, I’m, not,” Chloe’s face was scrunched up in pain, and she moved around in several different positions trying to get comfortable before stopping in an extremely odd pose, a hot water bottle slapped to her lower stomach.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “I hate being on my period so much.”

Pollen nodded sympathetically and offered her a macaron which the girl stuffed in her mouth and swallowed.

“Why don’t we do something in the meantime to distract you from the pain?” the kwami suggested. “We could watch a movie or something...”

Six hours of _Stranger Things_ , three single-serving cups of ice cream, two boxes of fine chocolates, her pain reliever and a number of Buzzfeed articles and quizzes later, Chloe was, indeed, feeling much better. The medication had taken effect and after the Netflix marathon, she was in much need of some fresh air and a good stretch. The blonde brought herself up from her reclining position on the bed, picking up the empty containers strewn about. She tossed them in the trash and finally opened her bag, taking out her phone to check for messages before she remembered that it was very unlikely Sabrina would text her now, even after the presentation this morning. Chloe felt a sinking feeling and reminded herself that she was going to fix this, promising herself that she would call Sabrina and straighten things out as soon as she could. There was another message however, and she opened the unusual contact.

 _Thanks for the ride_ , it read simply. Chloe went back and checked the contact, realization replacing her initial confusion when she saw the sketchbook aesthetic in the contact icon square.

 _I hope you’re feeling better_ , she texted back, unsure of how to respond to the phrase of gratitude. She clicked her phone off, feeling slightly lighter after the message, and her eyes strayed back to the second cup of tea she had finished sitting on the side table. A lightbulb turned on in her mind, and she wasted no time in running down to the kitchen to request another platter.

 

*

 

Queen Bee took some time relocating the Kurtzberg residence, but eventually managed to trace her way back to the home of her redheaded classmate. She hovered outside his window, peering through in a totally non-creepy non-stalkerish way to see if anyone was inside. The window was slightly ajar, so she took her chances and lightly leapt inside.

Her first reaction was that this room belonged to some crazy person with no sense of design or color. The walls were plastered with posters of emo rock bands and comic superheroes, a striking contrast from dark, edgy shades to brilliantly expressive colors, and the overall effect threw her off. Once she had gotten over the shock of the wall decor, her eyes scanned over the door, closet, a desk occupied by a large monitor and some kind of black device with a pen that she could only assume was a drawing tablet. The room was fairly neat, especially the desk area with a few sets of plastic drawers to hold art supplies, although there were a few clothes strewn about, some crumpled sheets of paper and broken pencils here and there.

She finally noticed the sleeping figure on the bed. Chloe gently put down the package of soup and tea she had brought on the small area of unoccupied space on the desktop, moving over to lean over his bedside. Nathaniel’s knees were held against his chest under the covers, his small frame compacted to a corner or the bed. His breath went in and came out in soft sighs that caused locks of messy red hair to rise and fall in his face. He seemed so peaceful lying there with his eyes closed, cheeks pink from fever and sleep and Chloe couldn’t help but feel, in that moment, he actually looked kind of….sort of…. _cute_? _No way_ , Chloe mentally chastised herself. She loved Adrien, and she was not ever going to look twice at any common peasant when the blond model was there with his perfect features and those gorgeous emerald eyes. So why was the redhead so strangely endearing all of a sudden?

Chloe did her very best to banish the thoughts from her mind, finally succeeding in at least pushing them to the back of her head, though they were still there, just less pronounced. Her fingers reached for the bangs obscuring his features, pushing them away from his face. His hair was soft, slightly sticky with sweat, but silky all the same. Queen Bee didn’t realize how close she was to the artist’s face, lips less than an inch from his forehead, until she heard a soft sigh and a pair of turquoise eyes snapped open. Both teens froze, simply staring at one another until one of them dared to speak. Nathaniel blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes, relaxing into the sheets.

“Hi Queen Bee,” he whispered, his cheeks glowing, and for once the blonde could see both his eyes. He was smiling softly, and the thoughts in the back of Chloe’s mind were threatening to resurface.

“Um, hi,” she responded, quickly breaking eye contact before he could hypnotize her with his adorableness. “I heard you were sick and I thought I’d bring you some stuff,” she gestured to the bag on his desk, and his gaze followed her hand before he nodded.

“That’s really nice of you,” he smiled, sinking back into his pillow before stretching slightly and sitting up.

“How are you feeling?” the superheroine asked in an attempt to ease the awkwardness.

“Better,” he admitted. “Who told you I was sick?”

Chloe quickly searched her mind for an explanation.

“Oh, I, uh, I have my sources,” she assured him. She picked up the tea and soup, offering them to him. Nathaniel took them and got up from the bed, opening the door to the room before leaving for the kitchen. He beckoned her to follow.

The redhead put the soup in a mug and put that into the microwave to heat up. While the mug spun in lazy circles on the turntable, he searched around in a cabinet before coming back to the counter with a plate of brownies.

“Want one?” he asked her, taking a small bite out of one himself. “Mom doesn’t usually let me eat junk food, but she makes brownies once in a while.”

Chloe’s mouth was watering at the aroma of rich cocoa and she accepted, taking a bite.

“Mmm,” she approved.

“They’re good, right?” He grinned at her, swallowing the bite of chocolate. He seemed so at ease with her, Chloe wondered if this relaxed, outgoing attitude was influenced by the presence of a fever, because the Nathaniel she had seen was _never_ this comfortable talking to people.

He took the plate and set it down on the coffee table in front of the TV, settling into the sofa and producing a remote. The screen flickered on and the Netflix logo appeared.

“What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be resting?” Queen Bee questioned.

“Watching Netflix. I’ve been lying in bed for hours and I’m tired of sleeping. Wanna join me?” he motioned to the space beside him on the couch.

 

**Does Queen Bee:**

**A) Accept; he's being nice, plus brownies!**

**B) Decline; she has other things to do, and her temper's on tiptoes on her time of the month**

**C) Politely refuse; she really doesn't want to spend time with a lowly commoner**

**D) Ask him if his parents would be okay with it**

**E) Other, comment down below**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm fairly pleased with how this turned out. I considered rewriting it multiple times, but eventually just kept it as was, so if you liked or didn't like anything about it, please tell me. Literally, just rant to me about every single bad thing about this and what parts just didn't work, etc. Be honest, I can't improve if you don't tell me what I'm doing wrong!
> 
> I'm so glad this fic has helped me 1) start actually writing my ideas instead of useless plot bunnies rampaging my mind, 2) become more confident in my own writing skills, and 3) improve and make a whole bunch of friends along the way
> 
> I love y'all so much, and don't forget to comment what you thought of the chapter!


	24. The Princess and the Peacock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had to, though

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus, I've been busy with school and assignments and stuff, so I barely got any time to write! But I made this chapter longer to make up for it :)
> 
> Also, just curious, do you like the headings for perspective shift (the bolded underlined names), or should I drop them. I'm fine either way, just wondering...

** CHLOE **

 

Queen Bee bit her lip, deep in thought and trying to resist the tempting fragrance of warm brownie wafting towards her from the coffee table. _Damn that stupid redhead and his stupid cute face and stupid brownies,_ she internally scolded, but at the same time, part of her wanted to stay and distract herself by watching TV with someone other than Sabrina. However, she was still a superheroine, and superheroines didn’t just stay over at random civilians’ homes unless she was implying something else. Which she most certainly was not. Also she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to hide her discomfort from someone, and she definitely didn’t want Nathaniel seeing that.

So instead she elected to wave away the offer with the excuse of ‘superhero duty’ and quickly left before her growling stomach decided otherwise. About ten minutes later, the yellow-clad girl landed on her balcony and somersaulted into her bedroom. She picked herself up long enough to reach her bed and collapsed, shouting an order through the door for more chocolate and painkillers.

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

While a certain blonde was dealing with her own issues, Nathaniel found himself sentenced to completing chores. Being an only child he was accustomed to having to do everything by himself since there was nobody to bribe (holiday family reunions were a different story altogether), but he managed to escape his responsibilities on account of sickness or exhaustion. Besides, his mother would ultimately be the one cleaning the house in the end anyways. However, when Mrs. Kurtzberg returned home to discover her son, not in bed as he should be in the condition the school nurse had described over the phone, but instead sitting at the couch watching Netflix and a half-finished plate of homemade brownies and, even more appalling, a pair of empty cans of sparkling lemon-watermelon soda on the coffee table, she quickly disappeared into the master bedroom to recover from shock after addressing him with a few scandalized words and a list of chores to be completed since he had so much time and was no longer sick.

Nathaniel found this unfair since he had been in bed for the last seven hours (eight?), and he hadn’t even been watching for all that long. Nonetheless he accepted the orders and assured her that the house would be spotless before she had a chance to give him a sterner lecture and worse consequences. After apologizing profusely and sending her to bed with an innocent “I love you” and a cup of tea, he shuffled into his bedroom and set to work. Really, he spent about seven minutes lying in bed contemplating a great many things before gathering the energy to get up and shove everything into the closet or under the bed. That should satisfy any general scan of the room when his mother woke up. Then there was the more daunting task of the living room, which he had no motivation nor will to do.

So the redhead flopped back onto his bed and passed some more time with a comic book he’d found underneath his scattered clothes. As anyone who has ever been sentenced to cleaning duty would know, a great many discoveries are made when you clean a bedroom, and reunions between owner and possession occur often. Such was the case with Nathaniel and his room, and he managed to occupy himself for a while with knick-knacks and novelties he’d forgotten he owned and had uncovered behind his desk, deep in the expanses of his closet or far under the bed against the wall.

Eventually he came to the realization that his mother would only be asleep for so much longer, and this conclusion was followed by a few appropriate doses of panic, boredom, deep contemplation, attempting to convince himself otherwise, and final resolution. The redhead forced himself to meet the living room, and the sight of the place alone drained him of any energy or incentive he had to work. It took a great deal of effort and resoluteness not to fall onto the couch right there and just sleep for another half-hour, so after a short session of self-pity and mourning, he decided to start with the candy wrappers. It was even harder to resist getting distracted and reading each individual piece of plastic in thorough detail, but he managed to get all the packaging in the trash with minimal time wasted on ingredients, company contact, and other trivial information that, although irrelevant in the extreme, was mildly interesting in comparison to chores.

The teen set about dully re-arranging furniture and cushions, halfheartedly picking up dishes and putting them in places he’d forget, totally disinterested in the task at hand, when his gaze chanced upon the containers Queen Bee had left, now empty of their original contents, but still sitting on the countertop as they had been, ignored, for the last hour or so. They weren’t disposable, in fact, they were quite nice dishes, so he reasoned he should return them to their owner. Nathaniel decided to wash them first, and figure out a way to return them without risking his secret identity later.

It was while he was absentmindedly rinsing the bowl and it’s lid that he noticed marks engraved into the base of the dish, a common company trademark but it might help him figure out how to give them back. He held it up to the light and squinted, making out the words _Le Grand Paris_ in a minuscule font. _Chloe_. It must have been. Who else would have known he was sick, and have been able to send food from such an esteemed hotel restaurant. Still, Nathaniel wondered why Chloe, of all people, would take it upon herself to send good wishes and food to him. Sure, she had been acting more humane as of late, but she hadn’t reached this point yet. At least, Nath didn’t expect her to. The redhead finally decided that he would ask her when he returned the dishes. Tonight.

 

*

 

Nathaniel Kurtzberg had only ever once been to Le Grand Paris hotel before this, and he would rather not think of that time. He was used to his birthday being forgotten, sure, although Alix and Rose and Juleka more than made up for it when nobody else gave the day a second thought, but Chloe had outright humiliated him in front of the whole class. Then, after a series of events he would also be better off without memories of, he’d found himself in the room of the heiress herself, with no idea of how he got there. Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t give him much attention either, they simply left after the akuma was purified and the girl’s suite restored. Which left a completely baffled teenage boy and an equally impatient teenage girl in a room together alone.

Paon Royale recounted that day as he soared over rooftops, anticipating the blonde’s reaction. It had been unpleasant, to say the least, to have been akumatized and then left with the cause of your corruption (or, at least trigger), who was also the target of your corrupted attacks without any explanation of where you were or how you got there or anything at all. But Paon wasn’t bitter about Ladybug, he was simply praying to the Powers That Be that this time that loathed room would be the setting of a more positive interaction, rather than invoking reminiscence of that awful day.

The blue superhero took a deep breath before knocking of the door. He’d chosen to take the elevator on the roof of the hotel, deciding it might be a safer choice to take the long way instead of going through her balcony. It took a little while to locate her room but he managed without too many suspicious glances from hotel staff. He waited for a moment before hearing a shout from the other side.

“About time, Jean-Pascal!” an all-too-familiar voice yelled. “And it better be 82% cocoa this time. I don’t care if all the kitchen has is 78% or 96%, make it yourself if you have to. What are you waiting for? COME IN!”

Well, so much for a polite conversation. Paon sighed and realized the door was unlocked, turning the knob and allowing himself in. He found himself facing a seething blonde sitting in bed, propped up against a stack of fluffy pillows he would have killed to sleep with, and watching him with an irritated and suspicious expression.

“Who the hell let you in and what the hell are you doing here,” she asked him in a low voice, the hand that wasn’t pressed against her stomach clenching into a fist.

“Relax, I’m just here to return some things,” he assured her, placing the bag of clean dishes delicately on a table and backing out. She was still glaring at him.

“Earlier you sent some food for a civilian I know and he just wanted to send them back since they are yours,” he explained. “He also wanted to say thank you,” he added tentatively, wondering how she might react. She finally nodded, her hand relaxing.

“I’ll, uh, leave now, I guess,” he said a little uncertainly, turning towards the door.

“Oh no you don’t,” he turned back at her words to see her angry again. “Don’t think you can bust in here and get away with leaving just like that,” she shook her head. Paon blinked at her in confusion.

“Sorry?” he asked dubiously.

“Come here,” she demanded, and he complied.

“I want you to go to the kitchens and get me some chocolate and some ice cream,” she ordered. “And you had better come back with 82% chocolate and sundae syrup, or else,” she warned threateningly.

“Uh, okay…?” The peacock-themed superhero accepted hesitantly. Chloe was still glaring.

“Well, what are you waiting for, a red carpet? GO!!!” she shouted and he quickly left to fulfill her request.

 

*

 

It turned out the kitchen didn’t have 82% chocolate. Or ice cream. Or sundae syrup. The kitchen staff had looked fearful when he mentioned they were for Chloe, informing him that Chloe had finished them all. Now Nathaniel didn’t know much about Chloe or her food preferences, but he could deduce from her self-consciousness about her appearance, she didn’t seem the type to gorge on snacks with such a high calorie count. That and the contrast in her attitude from annoyed this morning to completely irrational now was all very strange to the redhead.

So Paon trudged back to the elevator and upstairs, slightly apprehensive about how Chloe would react to this news, and also hopeful that she didn’t waste any more of his time before his mother woke up and he had another set of issues to deal with. The blonde was waiting expectantly and she raised an eyebrow when she saw his empty arms.

“I thought I told you to bring me something?” she asked threateningly.

“Yeah, I checked, but there wasn’t any...” he trailed off before jumping at her following shout.

“DO YOU THINK I CARE IF THEY HAVE IT OR NOT?!” she yelled. “GO MAKE YOUR OWN IF YOU HAVE TO. I NEED CHOCOLATE AND YOU AREN’T COMING BACK UNLESS YOU’VE GOT IT!”

Paon winced at the sound. At the same time, something was definitely off about Chloe. She could be rude, sarcastic and insensitive, but he had never seen her lash out like this, over such a minor problem, too. So he looked at her very carefully to try and see why she was so irrational, and coming closer he noticed a large number of empty boxes of truffles and ice cream cartons. His gaze traveled from the raging blonde to the hand pressed on her stomach, then back to the evidence of binge-eating, and suddenly everything clicked. He backed away into her balcony before turning around and taking off.

“Where are you going?!” she called after him. “The kitchen is that way!”

Paon dropped his transformation as soon as his feet touched the floor of his bedroom and he rushed to the closet to seek out another stash of junk food. This one, though, was kept separate from his own collection and was dedicated to Alix’s rages when she hit her time of the month. No wonder Chloe’s attitude had seemed so familiar, Nathaniel was only too accustomed to Alix acting exactly the same way on those occasions. It was even worse when Alix, Juleka and Rose were on their cycles together; separate they were just manageable but together it was a nightmare.

He grabbed whatever he could at random and stuffed everything into a plastic bag. Then he transformed and de-transformed outside the nearest McDonald’s to order a large fries and soda. Those went in the bag, too, and he took one last stop at the grocery store to get ice cream. He took all this back to Chloe’s suite, and, under a mask once more, presented them to her.

Chloe stared them for a few moments before looking back at him.

“This isn’t what I asked for,” she snapped.

“Look, I don’t know where to get that chocolate, but I’m sure you’ll be fine with these,” he told her as she rummaged through the bag.

“McDonald’s?” she wrinkled her nose holding up the fries.

“Look, just give it a try,” the blue superhero assured her and she did. She bit off the very tip of one before Paon scolded her for eating them without ketchup. The blonde sighed and tried them properly, eating it very delicately and slowly. He groaned, glancing at the time, and hoping she would hurry up and let him off.

“Fine, they’re not bad,” she admitted, eating another one. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Paon paused and turned.

“Well, I mean, I did what you asked, so, um, bye!” he waved as he pushed the door open.

“Oh no, you don’t!” she screeched. “You’re not done yet!”

“Huh?” Paon didn’t even bother hiding his confusion this time. “What do you mean?”

“Since you just came in here and started doing whatever you want in _my_ room, it’s only fair that now you do what _I_ want. And right now I want you to turn on the TV and watch Netflix with me,” she decided.

“Sorry, but I actually have to go somewhere and-”

“No buts. You’re staying here for as long as I want you to. Make yourself comfortable,” she gestured around the room, and he sighed in compliance, settling down in front of the bed on a pile of cushions and blankets as Stranger Things season 2 began to play.

 

***

 

**SABRINA**

 

_Dear Diary,_

_Chloe was sick today, so she left school early this morning after the presentation. I know Lila forced her to do it on her own, but I’m surprised she actually did it. She even put my name in the credits, even though I didn’t do anything. Maybe she wants us to be friends again. But if she wanted that, she would just tell me. Maybe it’s because of Lila. I like being friends with Lila, though. She treats me more like a real friend than Chloe ever did. Maybe I should talk to Chloe._

_Until next time,_

_Sabrina_

_*_

Sabrina signed off on her diary entry and snapped the book shut, leaning back into her chair. She just sat there for a while, thinking and going over recent events. On one hand, Chloe seemed to be changing; maybe if they renewed their friendship she would treat her differently than before. On the other, Chloe had been the one to break it, and she didn’t seem to be trying to do anything to fix it. Sabrina sighed. She ought to tell the blonde something in response to the presentation at least. Maybe a ‘thank you’, or a ‘get well soon’ and what homework had been assigned. Well, one text couldn’t hurt. She pulled out her phone, opened the messaging app, and frowned as she pondered over what to type.

 

**What does Sabrina send?**

**A) A simple 'thank you'**

**B) A long message confessing and explaining her feelings**

**C) An ambiguous 'you didn't have to do the project by yourself'**

**D) Ignore the project and send a cordial but formal 'get well soon' and what's for homework**

**E) Other, suggestions?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know that it is very unrealistic that we'd get Paon/Chloe interaction like this, but this story is 75% realistic interaction and 25% just getting this ship to sail, and I needed that 25%. Also I suck at math, so someone double check my calculations? Either way, I want ship, you want ship, so I wrote ship. You're welcome
> 
> I hope I didn't make Sabrina seem too juvenile or anything. I honestly have no idea... :/
> 
> Don't forget to comment and tell me what you think!


	25. Trust and Texting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not my best, but it's there all the same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for the delay, but I have been DROWNING in school and writer's block. I probably won't get any decent time to write until winter holidays, so please accept this from me for now ;(
> 
> I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH <333

**NATHANIEL**

 

Paon was slumped against the footboard of Chloe’s bed, nodding off, when a loud vibration made him jump. Chloe groaned, shaking herself awake before sitting up.

“Phone,” she demanded with an expectant hand reached toward him.

He rummaged around the pile surrounding him and resurfaced, device in hand. She snatched it from his hand and clicked a button, the screen illuminating. While she tapped away on her phone, locating the source of the notification, Paon took a moment to check the clock. Chloe seemed to notice, and her eyes flicked up above the screen at him and down again.

“You can go now,” she informed him, eyes glued to the screen. The blue superhero stood up awkwardly, legs stiff from sitting so long. He glanced at the blonde, who seemed completely engrossed in whatever it was she was looking at, waiting for some sort of goodbye or parting comment, but she didn’t look up. He left.

The moment the superhero’s feet touched the ground in his bedroom, he released his transformation and rushed into bed, pulling the covers around him. It was lucky that he was so quick, because less than a split-second later, his bedroom door burst open and he came face-to-face with his mother.

“I, um, fell asleep?” he offered sheepishly. Mrs. Kurtzberg sighed.

“Nathaniel, how many times have I told you not to go sneaking off to Theo’s place to avoid your chores. You’re lucky your father cleaned the living room while you were gone, but I don’t appreciate you making up excuses,” she gave him a stern glare.

“Yes, Mom,” he mumbled, hiding back under the sheets as she left him in solitude once more.

He got up, pushing the sheets away, and stood, reaching for the phone on the desk. A number of texts from Alix, Rose and Juleka asking him how he was feeling and informing him of how the presentation had gone, which he scrolled through and sent a half-hearted response so they couldn’t complain about him leaving them on ‘read’. There was also a missed call from Sabrina, which was intriguing. Frowning, the redhead pressed the ‘send a message’ button.

 

 **Nathaniel:** Hi Sabrina

 **Nathaniel:** I was busy today, sorry that I missed your call

 **Nathaniel:** Is there something you wanted to ask me?

 **Sabrina:** Oh hi Nath

 **Sabrina:** Yeah i was wondering if you knew anything about chloe

 **Nathaniel:** …?

 **Sabrina:** Shes been acting strange lately

 **Sabrina:** Any idea why?

 **Sabrina:** She sits beside you, so…..

 **Nathaniel:** Well, i mean, shes definitely been off these last couple of weeks…

 **Nathaniel:** She seems…

 **Nathaniel:** Nicer

 **Nathaniel:** Than usual…

 **Nathaniel:** But idk about the seat thing

 **Nathaniel:** Doesn’t she usually sit beside you?

 **Sabrina:** Yeah, well the thing is…

 **Sabrina:** I dont know, we kinda had a fight that morning and she sat beside you that day, and…

 **Sabrina:** It wasnt even like a fight…

 **Sabrina:** I just came to her hotel so we could go to school together and she was just ignoring me for some reason…

 **Sabrina:** Even Lila thinks theres something weird

 **Nathaniel:** Idk, I dont think i should rly get involved in other peoples friendships…

 **Sabrina:** Well, I mean, she wont talk to me, soo…

 **Nathaniel:** Idek

 **Sabrina:** Do you have any idea at all?

 **Nathaniel:** Idk, have you tried texting her?

 **Sabrina:** Well, I did…

 **Sabrina:** It said she was typing for a few seconds but then she left me on read

 **Nathaniel:** Hmmmm…..

 **Sabrina:** Do you….

 **Nathaniel:** Do I what?

 **Sabrina:** Do you think maybe shes angry at me?

 **Nathaniel:** Why would she be angry at you???

 **Nathaniel:** Did you like, not do her homework or something?

 **Sabrina:** Actually, she’s been doing her homework herself these last few days…

 **Sabrina:** I think...she hasn’t asked me to do anything

 **Nathaniel:** And her homework’s been done, too….

 **Nathaniel:** I dont rly think im in a place to discuss the friendship between you 2

 **Nathaniel:** But like…

 **Nathaniel:** Nvm, I probably shoudlnt

 **Sabrina:** What?

 **Sabrina:** Just tell me

 **Sabrina:** Itl’l only help

 **Nathaniel:** Well…

 **Nathaniel:** You know how youve been hanging out with Lila lately…

 **Nathaniel:** Maybe shes jealous?

 **Sabrina:** …

 **Sabrina:** But that was after she started avoiding me

 **Nathaniel:** But werent you friends with lila b4 that too?

 **Sabrina:** I never thought of that…

 **Sabrina:** I’ll see…

 **Sabrina:** Thx tho

 **Nathaniel:** Uh, yeah

 **Nathaniel:** Welcome

_Sabrina is offline_

_Nathaniel is offline_

 

*

 

**SATURDAY**

 

_kill_kim is online_

**kill_kim:** Hey Nath

 **kill_kim:** R u comin 2 the studio 2day?

 **kill_kim:** Cuz theo wanted to show us the finished thingy

_ihate!everything is online_

**ihate!everything:** Wow Alix

 **ihate!everything:** What a totally non-violent username

 **kill_kim:** Shhhhh

 **kill_kim:** Its a mood

 **kill_kim:** Also, speak for yourself emo

 **kill_kim:** Srsly ur like another lvl of emo

 **ihate!everything:** Shhhhh

 **ihate!everything:** : It’s a mood

 **kill_kim:** Hey thats my line

 **kill_kim:** Wtvr

 **kill_kim:** R u coming or not???

 **ihate!everything:** YES I AM COMING

 **kill_kim:** Kk good

 **kill_kim:** Cuz i hav a gr8 idea

 **kill_kim:** FOR A PRANK

 **ihate!everything:** Oh no

 **ihate!everything:** What now?

 **ihate!everything:** Nvm

 **ihate!everything:** Dont tell me

 **ihate!everything:** I dont wanna no

 **kill_kim:** Im glad you agree  >:D

 **kill_kim:** Cuz its gonna be awesome

 **ihate!everything:** No wtf NOOOO

 **ihate!everything:** I meant no as in the abbrevaition of KNOW

 **kill_kim:** 2 l8  >:D

 **ihate!everything:** ….that emoji never means anytihng good when u use it

 **kill_kim:** I stg imma make theo pay 4 evrything he made us do  >:DD

 **ihate!everything:** ….

 **ihate!everything:** Go on

 **kill_kim:** Ill explain there

 **kill_kim:** Im an evil genius

 **ihate!everything:** That is unfortunately true

 **ihate!everything:** See you in 10 then

_ihate!everything has left_

_kill_kim has changed their username to Theo Gets Karma_

_Theo Gets Karma has left_

 

*

 

As soon as Nathaniel entered the studio, Alix nearly tackled him for taking too long (there had been a traffic jam because of some trivial dispute that a group of teen girls were offended by a much wiser person affirming that XY was ‘nothing compared to Jagged Stone’, and more people got involved, resulting in a fight that ended only when Paon Royale appeared to smooth things out), dragging him to the paint supplies while Theo was busy.

Finally, the sculptor in question descended from the stairs and arrived in the studio.

“Nath, great, you’re here!” he smiled. “Follow me, I have to show you how it turned out.”

Theo led them through a door where a backed canvas had been set up, covered by a tarp. He gently lifted the tarp to reveal a swirling mix of blue, green and red, with some streaks of dirty yellow throughout. There were also a number of smeared hand and footprints as well as a glaring patch of irregular texture.

“That’s where you two fell,” Theo pointed to the section. “That’s why it’s different from the rest.”

Nathaniel nodded, scanning the design.

“It’s very...abstract,” he decided finally. “But it kinda looks more like a mess.”

Theo stepped back from the huge painting.

“Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. Maybe it would have looked better if I had better-looking people playing instead of you,” he teased.

“Oh, really?” Nathaniel poked back. “I doubt you could ever pull it off as well as we did.”

“Why don’t we find out?” a voice suggested behind them as a waterfall of paint spilled over the older male. Theo jumped, spluttering and trying to smear the paint out of his eyes.

Alix held an upturned can that was once full of a dark, ugly shade of mustard brown pigment, now only traces lined the inner walls of the container. The paint was dripping down from Theo’s hair to his shoes, and luckily for him he had stepped away from the artwork before so none of the paint affected the finished piece.

The two collègiens couldn’t contain their laughter anymore as the paint-covered sculptor went from shocked, to panicked, to annoyed, to angry. He waved his arms at the teens, paint splattering onto them, too, before they took off running, playing a game of tag around the studio. They were having so much fun, chasing each other with wet, dirty fingers like young nursery school children, none of them realized that the door had opened to reveal a visitor until said visitor received a welcoming faceful of fluorescent green paint.

“Mayor Bourgeois,” Theo breathed, face mirroring the other’s in horrified shock.

Nathaniel jumped forward.

“I’m so sorry about that M. Mayor,” he apologized profusely. “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, grabbing a clean towel and wiping some of the paint away.

“No harm done,” the mayor assured them heartily, taking the towel and using it to clean his face. “I suppose I came at an inconvenient time?”

“Not at all,” Theo affirmed hastily. “I’m very sorry about the paint.”

“Don’t worry, this isn’t my best suit, although I did want to speak with you about something.”

“What is it, Mayor Bourgeois?” Theo asked him, grabbing another towel for his own face.

“Well, I’m sure you remember the statue I commissioned a few months ago, of Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

Theo nodded.

“Now that there are some new additions to the group, I was hoping you might be up to the task of commemorating them as well,” he suggested.

“That would be incredible,” the sculptor confirmed. “Although, I would need some references, they are fairly new.”

“Of course, we can find a way to arrange with the new superheroes to pose as references. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind...”

As the two males conversed, Nathaniel and Alix busied themselves with cleaning up the mess, wiping away the paint droplets on the ground with wet cloths, although there was little that could be done with their clothes. Alix had been especially vengeful, deciding that they’d have to use the same paint on Theo as he had on them, which ended up ruining it for them by extension.

“Say, what do you think about the new superheroes?” Alix asked him conversationally as they worked. Nathaniel shrugged.

“Well, yeah, they’re cool and stuff...” he decided uncertainly.

“Hawk Moth must be having a challenge, making villains powerful enough to stop six heroes instead of two,” she went on. “Do you remember how ridiculous some of his villains used to be? Like M. Pigeon? That guy was so weird,” she chuckled, soaking a mop and slapping it on the floor.

“Yeah, he’s definitely upped his game since then,” he agreed. “The recent ones have been pretty dangerous, actually. The designs and powers been a lot more creative lately.”

“The new superheroes powers are awesome too, though,” Alix persisted. “I couldn’t tell exactly what they are since they haven’t done all that much yet, but they seem pretty threatening as a team.”

“Mhm?” Nathaniel murmured. “Sure...”

“If you were Hawk Moth,” she started. “What kind of super design do you think you’d make?”

“I dunno,” he said dubiously. “I mean, it really depends on the person, doesn’t it? It’d be cool though, having the power to turn people into superhumans...” he trailed off.

“Maybe you should be Hawk Moth,” she joked. “You’d make way better supers than he could.”

“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes. “What about you?”

“Hmm, maybe like a housekeeper or a janitor. Then I wouldn’t have to be doing this,” she gestured to the area of floor they were working on, the most difficult since that’s where the initial dump of paint had occurred.

“That’s the last then,” she finally sighed, putting the cleaning supplies away and gathering her things. “Do you wanna meet up later today?”

“Hmm, yeah, sure, when?”

“The guys were thinking of going to the arcade at around 19:00. You in?”

“I think I’m free then, why not?”

“Great,” she smiled, waving goodbye, and they parted ways outside the studio.

 

**Nathaniel has conveniently forgotten he has a commitment this evening, so, what shall we plan for our little tomato?**

**A) He remembers and has to cancel with Alix**

**B) He doesn't remember and skips the meeting with his boss**

**C) He pretends he forgot about the meeting so he can hang out with the guys(+ Alix)**

**D) He sleeps in the whole day**

**E) Other, help me, please!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could have been so much better and I'm sorry for the lack of Chloe. I'll try to make up for it next chapter! I hope!


	26. Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title is more appropriate for the emotion I felt writing this chapter, and the week before it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm finally back! Woot, WINTER HOLIDAYS, YAY
> 
> And since you've all been very good boys and girls this year (I hope you haven't been reading too much sin O.o), I have taken it upon myself to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a joyous New Year (hahaha, NOT)
> 
> But really, you can all thank Cherisher for encouraging me to finish this (idc if you didn't do anything TAKE THE PROPS).
> 
> I hope this chapter isn't too bad. I'm sorry, I was feeling really motivated a while go but assignments and exams got in the way and then I ran out of time and then I lost motivation, and, whew, I'm just really glad I finally get a break. I hope you guys are getting a break, too!
> 
>  
> 
> Hopefully the next update will be faster...
> 
> Kk I'll stop now
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel spent a most of the rest of the day in idle relaxation, dully alternating between phone and television and comic book and his sketchbook until it was time to meet Alix again. It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to do - there was a daunting number of commissions sitting in his inbox he had yet to attend to - but he really felt no sense of urgency or motivation to do anything today other than laze around in lethargy. Sometime around 18:55, the redhead finally mustered the willpower to get up and get ready, when something clicked in his mind and he had the faintest off-putting feeling that he had forgotten something important. He still couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was, but it felt urgent somehow.

In fact, it wasn’t until he opened the front door to reveal Alix, as well as Kim, Adrien, Nino, Max and Ivan that he realized what he was missing. One glance at the model was enough to pull forth a memory of the last time they had seen each other, and that memorable encounter with the blond’s father. However, Alix wasn’t going to let him off easy.

“You okay?” she asked, noting his temporarily terrified expression.

“Wha-what?” Nathaniel replied, snapping back to reality. “Oh, um, yeah, I just remembered I have to do something really important...” he motioned around vaguely, trying to get the message across.

“But you said you were free all day! C’mon, Nath, stop being so antisocial and hang out once in a while!” she expressed, pulling him out the door.

“Sorry, Alix, but I really can’t come,” he tried to defend himself, pulling away from her. The short girl’s grasp only tightened.

“Come _on_ , Nath, it’ll be fun!” she dragged him down the steps. Nathaniel, left with no other choice, reluctantly followed the group to their destination, mind racing for some solution to his problem.

Ten minutes later, the artist still hadn’t solved his dilemma. He bit his lip distractedly while the others faced an entirely different issue once they arrived at the location of the arcade.

“ _Closed for renovations?!_ Oh, come on, seriously! They said they’d be open again a month ago!” Kim complained. Max stood beside him, looking just as disappointed as his friend.

“Well, I guess we could go out for pizza, then,” Nino suggested.

“Yeah...” Kim looked unenthusiastic. “But now we’ll never be able to find out who won the bet between me and Alix on who’s better at Mecha Strike IV!”

“Alix and _I_ ,” Max reminded him. “We could always go when it’s open...”

“Why don’t we go to my place?” Adrien offered. “We can play video games there, and you could probably stay later if my dad allows it.”

The group’s excitement renewed at this prospect, but Nathaniel was faced with another problem. If they went to Adrien’s house, there was no way he would be able to avoid Gabriel, and the redhead was pretty sure that the older man would be less than pleased to see him this way. He kept his mouth shut nonetheless, following the others to the towering mansion with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

*

The moment they arrived in the foyer, Nathaniel’s heart sank. Gabriel was waiting on the steps expectantly, as if he had predicted the change of plans and knew they would be coming here instead. He addressed the group at large and said something to them, but the redhead didn't hear it because he was intently watching the way the fashion designer spoke rather than the actual words. He didn't realize the others start moving until Alix nudged him and pointed out his distractedness.

“Sorry…?” he replied absentmindedly, still watching Gabriel as the girl pulled him along towards the teen's bedroom.

“Nath, seriously, get your head out of the clouds and _move_! I'm not dragging you all the way up the stairs because you can't stop daydreaming,” she snapped.

“Er, right,” he agreed hastily, taking control of his movement and following her, head still turned the other way. Gabriel's eyebrow formed a minuscule arch - discreet enough that anyone else would completely miss it, but the artist's eyes caught the motion and he slowed down.

“Actually,” he said to Alix, who noticed his slowed pace, “I really have to go to the bathroom. Uh, meet you upstairs?”

“There's one in Adrien’s room, though,” she pointed out, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Oh, um, right.” Nathaniel chuckled lightly in an attempt to cover it up as an understandable misrecollection. He turned around to look at Gabriel again, who was no longer standing but advancing up the opposite staircase, slowly enough to suggest expectancy.

“What I meant to say was, uh, I'm _really_ hungry. I'll go ask the cook for something,” he gestured vaguely downstairs.

“Since when are you hungry? You barely ever eat anything!” she reminded, and the redhead mentally facepalmed.

“Alix, you coming?” Kim called from the next floor. “We're starting! You too, Nath!”

“Sure, just let me get a snack first,” Nathaniel assured the jock. He turned to Alix. “You go, I promise I'll be right there,” he told her.

Alix looked more suspicious but didn't press on.

“Whatever,” she shrugged, and left.

Nathaniel sighed in relief and pretended to go downstairs until the pinkette’s short figure disappeared inside the room. He turned quickly and ran up the opposite flight of stairs, taking the steps five at a time. He finally crashed the door open and collapsed into a chair inside the designer's office, panting for breath.

“Sorry, so sorry,” he gasped. “It completely slipped my mind-I promise I won't forget again-please don't take away my miraculous,” he paused to gather his breath, looking up.

Gabriel calmly pulled a bottle of vitamin water out of some expanse of his desk, tossing it to the teen. Nathaniel caught it, but not before it landed on his side of the desk in a perfect bottle flip. _Show-off_ , he decided, unscrewing the cap and taking a long draught of its contents. The man simply sat watching him until he finally pulled the bottle from his lips and set it down.

“So, what now?” the amateur superhero asked.

“We have many things to discuss and very little time. Also, you can forget about meeting with your friends tonight because you did have a commitment with me in advance,” Gabriel replied.

Nathaniel didn't dare challenge him, but he did feel very slightly apprehensive at Alix’s doubtless reaction to this information. However, that could wait until later for consideration. Gabriel, again employing that mind-reading power he seemed to possess, took the teen's silence as a sign to continue, so he went on.

“Let us start with what we've already discussed,” he decided. “I assume you have been completing the daily exercise routine I assigned you?”

Nathaniel nodded unhappily.

“Good,” he approved. “This next week should be a minimum of 30 push-ups along with a jog every morning. And I don't care if you don't have time, you should have the capability to _make_ time for yourself if you are truly a superhero,” he added. Nathaniel shut his mouth, previously ready to object.

“One of the marks of a good superhero, or even an influential person is that they bend their circumstances, not let their circumstances bend them. You could do with applying this to your own life,” he advised, “especially in terms of peer pressure.”

The redhead looked down sheepishly, remembering how Alix had so easily convinced him to join her.

“Yeah, I guess...” he agreed reluctantly. Gabriel nodded approvingly.

“Now onto more pressing matters. How is the superhero life treating you?” the man asked.

“It was great. It was really amazing being right there, fighting akumas along with Ladybug, Chat Noir, and now the others, too!” he expressed enthusiastically.

“I'm glad to know I made the right choice giving it to you,” Gabriel smiled. Nathaniel decided he might as well get used to his classmate’s father’s unnerving grin.

“And it seems you've already had a bit of practice with helping civilians as well,” the fashion icon noted, and the artist blushed.

“Yeah, um, some of them can be a bit demanding...” he trailed off.

“I'm not going to call you out on that case as I am very well aware of the convincing power of young Miss Bourgeois,” Gabriel assured him. “But you might want to start building a resolve of your own. Years of being overlooked and ignored have not given you a very set and unwavering mindset.”

“I guess so...” he responded.

“But I digress. How have the akumas been?” the designer prodded.

“They've actually been pretty threatening lately. Hawk Moth’s been working harder, but they still aren't anything the team can't defeat.” The artist smiled softly, thinking back to the fights, and that sense of belonging he had finally felt for once, among the superheroes. He missed the expression that momentarily crossed his boss’s features, then disappeared.

“And your kwami?” Gabriel inquired.

“We've been getting closer,” Nathaniel affirmed. It was true, he had started opening up to the small blue god - not yet to the “showing her his sketchbook” degree, but it was progress.

“Good to hear. I suppose that now that you have responsibilities, you may have discovered you actually have more friends than you thought,” he pointed out.

“Oh, yeah,” Nathaniel admitted. “I guess you're right. I just never really considered it that way before.”

“It would do you well,” Gabriel agreed. “Well, that's all I have for you tonight. You are free to leave and join your friends, although, I suppose, it's a bit late now.” he noted. The clock on the wall now read 22:37.

Nathaniel gaped. Alix was going to kill him.

 

***

 

**CHLOE**

 

Chloe frowned at Sabrina’s latest message. She scrolled through social media, took a few clickbait quizzes, read some articles on irrelevant topics in vain attempts to rid her mind of that annoying thing gnawing at her, something she had learned to identify as a _conscience_. What an interesting word to attribute to Chloe.

However, in light of recent events, she had discovered that being nice might actually not be such a bad payoff, after all. And she was making efforts at school, albeit minimal. Her classmates had certainly noticed a difference; she wasn't oblivious to their reaction and the way they looked at her nowadays. But one thing she was coming to regret was the drama she had introduced between her and Sabrina. In retrospect, she could have easily come up with another cover story, one with a lot fewer repercussions. Once again she asked herself why she had gone to such extents for that tiny lie, but it was too late now. She did however, mentally swear to herself that she would never make up another story on the spot like that again.

But for now, how was she supposed to respond to that ‘ _you didn't have to do it yourself_ ’ without risking sounding like her old, cynical self?

 

**Good question, Chloe. Anybody know the answer?**

**A) Easy, don't**

**B) Ask someone else for help**

**C) Text Sabrina back asking what she means**

**D) Respond by saying she knows but she wanted to anyways (probably to repay poor tangerine child for years of doing Chloe's homework)**

**E) Author has no ideas, please help :/**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo....did I suck? Yes, no, maybe so? TELL MEEEE
> 
> (I probably failed miserably and let you down being the total disappointment that I am)
> 
> But even if I did fail, I'll just dab on dem haters because thats how cringe I'm going to be since 2017 is finally almost over and then you can celebrate the end of #allyastop2k17imcringing
> 
> what even....
> 
>  
> 
> Also, irrelevant to you, but happy late birthday to me (December 18)!


	27. Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which both tomato and honey child find themselves in situations they'd never expect themselves to end up in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very happy I got this done today. 1, I finally got time because of winter holidays and 2, I WAS ACTUALLY MOTIVATED/INSPIRED to write something. YAY!!!
> 
> Also, I'm going to upload this fic onto wattpad sans options (the story will make it there but only those of you on ao3 get to be the decision makers, haha) as soon as I figure that website out. FFN is my enemy (sorry ff.netters but y'all are missing out and I truly pity you), and it's basically posting hell for writers. I guess I'm just really much happier on ao3, don't you agree?
> 
> Okay, enough of this, here's the story

**CHLOE**

 

“I do hope you’re actually going to _send_ a message this time,” Pollen sighed from Chloe’s pillow when the blonde opened the messaging app again.

“You know what, I’m done stalling. I’m actually going to text her,” Chloe decided with finality. She opened the conversation with Sabrina and tapped on the texting bar.

 

_Yesterday_

**Sabrina** : You didn’t have to do it yourself, you know

_Today_

_Chloe is online_

**Chloe** : I know

 **Chloe** : I just thought it was only fair

_Sabrina is online_

 

Chloe bit her lip and waited as the screen showed the ginger was typing. It seemed to be taking forever, when finally:

 

 **Sabrina** : Why though?

 **Sabrina** : And why do you keep ignoring me in class?

 

The blonde’s heart dropped to her stomach. Pollen flew over to her at the change of expression and gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

 

 **Chloe** : The thing is…

 **Chloe** : I did the project myself for extra practice

 **Chloe** : I havent really learned much by not doing any work since u usually do it for me

 **Sabrina** : Yeah

 **Sabrina** : But youre the one who made me do them…

 **Chloe** : I should have done them myself

 **Sabrina** : ...

 **Sabrina** : Why do i feel like you hate me all of a sudden?

 

The heiress simply stared at the screen for a few moments before responding quickly

 

 **Chloe** : …

 **Chloe** : Im sorry

 **Chloe** : Let me rephrase that

 **Chloe** : Im sorry for making you do my work all these years

 **Chloe** : I should have been doing tem myself since it is my responsibility

 **Chloe** : them*

 **Sabrina** : Oh?

 **Sabrina** : Okay…

 **Sabrina** : Then y dont you ever talk to me in class anymore

 **Sabrina** : Or look at me?

 **Sabrina** : Hello?

 **Sabrina** : It says ur online but u arent responding?

 **Chloe** : Im online

 **Sabrina** : So?

 **Chloe** : So what?

 **Sabrina** : You know what

 **Sabrina** : Chloe…

 **Chloe** : What?

 **Sabrina** : R u

 **Chloe** : Am i what?

 **Sabrina** : Are you jealous of me?

 

Once again, Chloe found herself at a loss for words, both physically and in messaging. She frowned at the phone in her hand.

 

 **Sabrina** : ...Chloe?

 **Sabrina** : Are you there?

 **Sabrina** : Chloe?

 **Sabrina** : Hellooo?

 **Chloe** : Im here

 **Sabrina** : Ok answer the question

 **Chloe** : …

 **Chloe** : Why would I be jealous of you?

 **Sabrina** : …

 **Sabrina** : Idk…

 **Sabrina** : Its just…

 **Sabrina** : Idk

 **Sabrina** : Does this have anything to do with lila?

 **Chloe** : What

 **Chloe** : Why would it have anything to do with lila

 **Sabrina** : Idk…

 **Sabrina** : Youve been acting rly weird since she came

 **Chloe** : Excuse me

 **Sabrina** : Sorry

 **Sabrina** : I just meant…

 **Sabrina** : You seem kind of…

 **Sabrina** : Off…

 **Sabrina** : This past lil while…

 **Sabrina** : Here

 **Sabrina** : Can i call u?

 **Chloe** : Sure

 

A moment later the phone emitted a series of musical notes (Chloe made a mental note to change her ringtone to something less annoying), and she answered it.

“Um, hello?” her friend’s voice came a little unsurely from the other side.

“Hi Sabrina,” Chloe greeted.

“Oh, um, hi,” Sabrina replied. “So, yeah, about that, umm...are you sure this isn’t about Lila at all?”

“I’m just wondering why you thought that stupid Italian girl has any relevance to this.” The blonde tried hard not to snap, but it came out more harshly than she intended.

“Do you not like her?” Sabrina sounded suddenly self-conscious.

“Of course not. What, do you?”

“I, um, well, kind of...” Sabrina’s voice trailed off awkwardly, before she spoke again, sounding much clearer and confident than Chloe was used to.

“Actually,” she said assertively, “I do like Lila. She’s a nice friend, and she’s really not that bad once you get to know her. And anyways, she treats me more like a real person than you ever did.”

Chloe froze, fighting every urge to completely snap back at the other girl, and recomposed herself.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” she hissed through gritted teeth.

“Look, Chloe. I know you’re acting a lot more mature these days with the rest of the class, but you’ve pretty much used me since _école_ and I let you do that. But now I’m thinking that maybe I should have stood up for myself sooner. I’m sorry, but you’ve been a really bad friend.”

Chloe paused, thinking for some time to the point that the ginger asked her if she was still on the line.

“Yeah, I’m here,” she said softly, still thinking.

“Are you going to say anything?” Sabrina asked.

“Hmm…?” Chloe murmured distantly.

“Well, if that’s all, then I guess...”

“No, stay. You know what? I’m sorry, Sabrina.” She could practically hear her old friend freeze on the other side of the line.

“I’m sorry for using you and forcing you to do my work and manipulating you and using blackmail and oh, I’m really sorry for not treating you like a real friend, because honestly, you deserve someone much better than me.”

“And I’m sorry for every single time I’ve demeaned you or made you feel like nothing and I _know_ I’ve treated so many people like dirt and nobody deserves that, but especially not you. I’ve been nothing but horrible to you for so long, playing with your emotions and feelings and even your family and yet you’ve still been beside me this whole time and I can’t ever thank you enough for that because I don’t deserve it and I just wanted to say I’m sorry…” Chloe’s voice broke and she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat to no avail, waiting for a response.

It was some time before Sabrina spoke again.

“Wow, I really didn’t expect that from you...ummm?” Sabrina sounded awkward again. “Look, Chloe, we’ve been through a lot, and I really hope you’re being sincere this time and not just trying to emotionally blackmail me again, but, umm, I’m always there if you need someone to talk to...” she seemed genuinely surprised and also slightly suspicious.  

“Thank you Sabrina,” the blonde whispered, and Pollen rubbed gentle circles into her back, comforting her and encouraging the blonde. “You’re really an amazing friend.”

“One thing I do want to know, though,” Sabrina started again. “Why do you hate Lila so much? She’s really not that bad...”

“Well, haven’t you seen the way she acts. She lies to everyone about practically everything. They’re not even that good; she just wants to be such a show-off, pretending she’s rich and famous. Pfft, as if.”

“Maybe you should get to know her more, then,” Sabrina suggested. “She’s been going through some rough times, you know. She told me that her parents are having some issues at home and she’s kind of caught between it all.”

“What if she’s just lying so you’ll take pity on her?” Chloe sounded disbelieving.

“I don’t know...” Sabrina sighed. “I don’t think she is, though...”

“And what makes you say that?” Chloe asked.

 

**This is a bit of a different choice this time. Why does Sabrina accept Lila while everyone else seems wary?**

**A) She’s more of a friend to Sabrina than anyone else**

**B) Sabrina might be having some /deeper/ feelings for the Italian girl**

**C) She’s just very good at psychological and emotional manipulation**

**D) Sabrina knows how it feels to not have very many friends**

 

*******

**Okay, on with the rest of the story**

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel wouldn’t say he was perfect when it came to dealing with people. He could hold his temper well. He tried not to offend others, and he stayed neutral on most issues, not wanting to get involved in conflict or dispute. He sometimes, rarely, _did_ lash out, but when he did, he was sure to apologize afterwards, not wanting to cause any hurt feelings.

Everyone else would probably say he was one of the sweetest people you could find in Paris. Marinette could affirm he had been notably non-violent even while he was akumatized, only resorting to aggression after she rejected him a bit more harshly than necessary (hey, it hadn’t been one of her best days and she wasn’t proud of it, but he _had_ been an akuma), and his classmates knew he would never do anything to hurt anyone since he just wasn’t that kind of person.

So if anyone were to claim that he, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, caused one of the most dangerous akumas to ever strike Paris, they would most certainly be immediately referred to a ward at a mental hospital because that just didn’t happen.

But here he was, running for his life from a supervillain who was targeting him for once, and thinking back to how exactly he got in this situation to begin with. He held his bag tight to his chest, jacket billowing out behind him as he sprinted through the park, turning every random direction in hopes that it might give him even a millisecond to spare himself from impending doom. There were four superheroes present at this moment, although that wasn’t saying much since the one of them that wasn’t completely neglecting the task at hand was most clearly unmatched for the supervillain himself.

So, one might ask, how  _did_ such a passively incompetent person result in the corruption of a villain so effective he had already caused one half of the legendary superpowered sextet to abandon their job in his favor. The answer was surprisingly unsurprising: comic books.

Nathaniel had been waiting for the release of the latest installment of the _Super Bat_ series for months now, as had been a considerable number of other superhero enthusiasts. To his dismay, a number of events that day were against his odds - he overslept, had to clean his room again since he hadn’t done it right the first time, faced a long session of scolding from Alix because he wasted her time by coming to the house of a fashion designer in clothes that might as well sport decals reading “ _Insult to Fashion_ ” (Nathaniel was never using the excuse that Gabriel had isolated him from the others to lecture him on his fashion sense again), and then interrupted five lanes of Parisian traffic to run to the comic bookstore before they sold the last copy of _Super Bat: The Final Battle_. And a final battle it was when he dashed into the store, cut in front of a long queue of excited comic book fans, grabbed the last copy, and ran out again, throwing a wad of cash at the cashier as he left with a distant shout of “keep the change!” Naturally, the entire line-up was seething and muttering unspeakable curses on his soul, but the boy who would have been heir to The Comic Book was most triggered of all.

An unfortunate lookalike may have been chased by a mob of angry nerds (the teen was running fast enough he could have looked like anyone in Paris, even Ladybug, really, and anyway, it’s not like any of them had photographic memory), but _Nathaniel_ was being hounded by a remotely intimidating baddie who somewhat resembled a juvenile version of the Kidder. However, he didn’t seem entirely extraordinary compared to the typical akuma until he utilized his real superpower, and even then, Ladybug wouldn’t have found even that to be all that threatening. Oh, boy, was she wrong.

By the time Mini Menace had pursued the redhead to the park, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge had arrived at the scene of the action, ready to counter the attack. They all watched the villain change focus momentarily from his initial target to those of his master; not wasting a moment in summoning minions to occupy the superheroes while he exacted his own revenge. Ordinarily, the team would easily shake off any distractions, even if they were matched one to one, but this time, Ladybug supposed the akuma had struck at one of her teammates’ shared weaknesses.

The red-and-black superheroine immediately aimed her yoyo for one of the ‘distractions’, but instead it hit Queen Bee, who seemed to be trying to _protect the enemies_? Chat Noir and Rena Rouge stood as if in a daze for almost a full minute until they seemed to come to grips with reality, but instead of rushing to their leader’s aid, they simultaneously turned to each other and _squealed_ in perfect sync:

“MAJESTIA?!” Rena screamed highly enough to shatter every window in Paris.

“OH MON DIEU, IT’S SAILOR MOON!!!” Chat Noir shrieked (yes, _shrieked_ ), loudly enough to make Ladybug jump and look around for panicking pterodactyls. Nope, just two fangirls and a fanboy.

Queen Bee simply staggered towards the latter and wrapped herself around her idol’s waist, too shocked to speak, although her face was bright enough to power every solar panel in France until the Sun burned itself out in pure spite.

Ladybug stared at them, struggling to throw off a reincarnation of what she could only assume was Captain France (she hadn’t so much as glanced at a superhero movie or comic book or anime or manga in her entire life). What was a superheroine to do?

 

*

**Okay so this option isn't tied into the plot itself, but I'm thinking of what I'm going to actually call this story when it's over (also what I'm going to call it on wattpad later on if I ever get to that). I have some ideas, but I really need help. Also, since this fic is really a writer/reader collab (your decisions MATTER), it's only fair you have some say in the title:**

**A) Bluebirds and Bumblebees (I'm kind of leaning towards this one)**

**B) Honey, Tomato(e)s, and Drama**

**C) A Tale of Two Teenagers (and a whole lot of drama) in Paris**

**D) Chlonath: A Story of Stubborn Denial and Superhero Shenanigans**

**E) I NEED IDEAS I'M SO FREAKING HOPELESS AT TITLES - LITERALLY JUST GO AND LOOK AT ANY OF MY WORKS FOR A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW _NOT_ TO TITLE A STORY**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, cliffhanger! I know the option doesn't really seem important but it could end up affecting a few things 
> 
> Also, my non-otaku, non-DC nerd self tries to make references to nerdy media and fails spectacularly. I am venturing into the world of Marvel but Miraculous has some pretty obvious references to DC Comics and anime so yeah. Sorry about that.


	28. Guilt-tripping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny bit of angst if you squint and turn your head sideways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it occurred to me that a story about Chlonath was SERIOUSLY lacking Chlonath so I decided to fix that.

**CHLOE**

 

“Well, I mean, here's the thing, Chloe,” Sabrina explained. “You can probably already tell that Lila doesn't have that many friends...”

“For obvious reasons,” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, well, when you don't have a bunch of friends you're sometimes willing to do basically anything to get at least one person to like you. I think that's why she acts the way she does with you and other people, ‘cause that's not what she's like with me...She's a lot less in-your-face and show-off-y when I talk to her, maybe because I'm the only one who really wants to get to know her for who she really is. And then when you stopped talking to me, she asked me what happened and she actually told me she would get revenge on you _for_ me...and I don't think she'd do that if she was using me the way you were...”

“I _guess_ ,” Chloe responded. “And I said I'm sorry, didn't I? Do you still have to be _her_ friend?”

“Come on, Chlo, just give her a chance. A real one. I promise you won't be disappointed,” Sabrina assured her. Chloe considered for some time.

“Okay, _fine_ , but if she _ever_ tries to get in between us, deal's over,” the blonde decided.

Sabrina chuckled.

“Hey, when was it a deal?” she asked jokingly.

“Well, I'm choosing to be your friend again, so it kind of _is_ one,” Chloe snapped back, but she made sure the ginger understood she wasn't being serious.

“And I'm choosing to forgive you, so, no,” the orange-haired girl retorted with an equally light-hearted tone.

“Well, I'm taking you shopping today, so I'm still one-up,” the heiress concluded.

“Wait, really?” Sabrina asked.

“Yes, it's been _forever_ since we last went and I think Lila could do with a better wardrobe. Clearly she hasn't heard of fashion since she came to France.”

“Oh, wow, really, Chloe? Thank you so much, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend!” Sabrina gushed.

“Yes, yes, I'm so generous, I know, now you'd better be ready to shop till you drop within the next ten minutes because, believe me, do you have any idea how long it's going to take to fix that clothing nightmare? Don't even get me started on the hair...”

“Okay, I'll be right there, don't worry!” and the line clicked off.

Chloe looked up from her phone to see Pollen beaming at her, and it made her feel strangely warm inside, kind of like when Adrien did something for her.

“You've come so far, Chloe,” the kwami said. “I'm so proud of you!” the little god zoomed forward and nuzzled her fuzzy body against the girl's cheek. Chloe smiled.

“I am doing better, now, aren't I?” she remarked, for once without a trace of arrogance. “Now hurry, Pollen, I hear _Gabriel’s_ is having a huge sale and I don't want to miss out!”

 

*

 

**Later**

 

Chloe, Sabrina and Lila were sitting on a bench in the shopping district, taking a well-earned break from checking out clothes and accessories, when they heard the familiar cackle and telltale discord that could only be signs of yet another akuma.

“Gosh, what is it with this city and supervillains? Can't anyone go even one day without getting triggered?!”

Chloe was going to bite back saying she shouldn't talk if she didn't know what it was like, but then she remembered that Lila, had, indeed been akumatized shortly after her arrival in Paris.

“I'll be back,” she promised the other two girls, hurrying off to transform before she got distracted.

However, ten minutes later, that's exactly what happened.

Now, Chloe loved Adrien more than anything else she had ever known, and so she made extra efforts to show as much enthusiasm as he did about the things he enjoyed. When it came to anime, however, she was straight-up critical. She made it a point to pick out every little inconsistency or error or flaw, ultimately waving the whole thing off as a waste of time; and to anyone it would be exaggeratedly obvious she didn't care for the genre at all. However, deep down in the forbidden depths of her heart where no one dares to venture, Chloe was a weeb. She was secretly _obsessed_ with anime and manga to the point that even Adrien probably wouldn't be able to compete.

Anyways, years of covering up any trace of partiality to this interest were in vain the moment she saw her idol in the flesh. Wouldn't anyone? She stood, dazedly, gripping onto the magical girl and shielding her from Ladybug’s blows, too stunned to speak, until Chat Noir rudely forced her away so he could have her all to himself. Using his stick as a lever, he wrenched the two apart, launching Queen Bee over four buildings before she landed ungracefully on a patch of rough asphalt within viewing distance of the actual supervillain.

She jumped up, ready to get back to Sailor Moon and give Chat a good dose of karma before some sensible part of her mind came into play. The leather-clad hero wrapped his arms around the anime protagonist possessively, gazing into her eyes like a lovestruck fool. _Is that really what I looked like, too?_ Chloe asked herself. She had to admit it did seem foolish from this distance. Fanperson weakness, she justified. After all, which fangirl or fanboy would be able to hold onto sanity if they saw their favourite character come to life?

So she forced herself to tear her gaze away from the sight, and instead onto the akuma, who was being pursued by Ladybug, the one Miraculous holder who actually seemed concerned with defeating the villain. And the villain seemed to be chasing after... _Nathanieĺ?_ She wondered what the shy, outspoken boy could have done to warrant someone's revenge, but now wasn't the time.

“Need some help?” she called out to Ladybug, who looked relieved at the sight of aid.

“Please,” Ladybug affirmed. “I'll handle the akuma if you can get that civilian out of danger. It seems the akuma is targeting him, so it should be easier to capture the butterfly once Na-that boy is out of the picture.”

“Got it,” Queen Bee agreed as the redhead took a sharp left. “Where should I leave him?”

“Don't leave him if you can,” Ladybug warned. “Take him home or somewhere else if it's safer.”

“What, so I'm just supposed to _stay_ with him until the attack is over? I have other things I need to do, you know!”

Ladybug glared, and the striped superheroine sighed.

“Fine, I'll stay with him until the danger’s gone,” she muttered reluctantly, turning to head towards the artist.

It took some time for her to catch up with the teen because, 1, he was so small he kept disappearing under awnings or overhangs, and 2, he actually ran surprisingly fast for his size. Also, his strides were unusually wide, and he practically did the splits between steps. However, wings were faster, and she eventually dropped down beside him when he took a break to catch his breath, the villain hot on his heels.

“Questions later, I'm going to get you to safety right now, kay? she informed him.

He said nothing, but nodded his head vigorously between pants for air.

“Uh, so am I supposed to carry you, or what?” she asked reluctantly. When he still didn't respond for lack of oxygen, she sighed and awkwardly picked him up with the least contact between them as possible, grabbing him by the shoulders, and then, more securely under his armpits. She lifted them into the air and took off, forcing the akuma to change course once again.

“Wow, for someone so small, you sure are heavy,” she commented as they soared through the sky. “I mean, I really didn't expect it to be so hard to carry someone.”

“I, um...” Nathaniel mumbled something of a response.

“I'll just drop us here,” she decided, landing as lightly as she could on the ground in front of his house. “It is your house, after all.”

“Uh, thanks,” he told her, opening the front door. “So, is the akuma still after me, or is Ladybug dealing with it?”

“I don't know, but until she is, I'm staying with you. It's too dangerous for a civilian to be out when there's an attack going on,” she told him firmly.

“Oh, um, you can't, um, leave?” he asked, looking slightly disappointed. Chloe wondered if the teen had ever spoken a full sentence without any ‘uh’s, ‘um’s, or ‘er’s.

“As much as I would like to leave you alone in peace and attend to my own errands, duty calls and I really can't leave you when the villain is targeting you in specific. Sorry.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, slightly crestfallen. “Are you coming in then?” he offered the door, and she followed in behind him.

They trudged up the stairs to the living room, where Nathaniel deposited his bag on the couch and went to the kitchen to get some water. He reappeared in the room a moment later with a glass of water, plopping himself onto the couch as well.

“Sorry, no brownies this time,” he mentioned in an offhand voice. “Just make yourself at home,” he gestured around with his free hand while the other searched in his bag for something that turned out to be an unopened comic book.

“Uh, sure,” she said, choosing one of the armchairs and settling down into one.

“Do you want to watch Netflix?” he offered. “I mean, I have some comic books, but I don't think they'd interest you. Unless you like manga?”

Queen Bee brightened. She had already revealed her inner otaku, why bother trying to hide it now?

“If you have manga, yeah, that'd be nice,” she agreed.

“I'll show you what I have,” the redhead got up and led her back to his own room. He pulled open the closet and extracted a large cardboard box from somewhere inside. The artist opened the box and pushed it towards her, displaying his collection.

“Pick whatever you want,” he told her, and she scanned the contents before selecting one she hadn't read yet that seemed somewhat intriguing. He left the box like that, closing the door behind them when she followed him back into the living room.

“Say, why _was_ the akuma after you, anyways?” she asked. “You don't seem the type to hurt people's feelings...”

“No, that's Chloe,” he responded while tearing open the package. “She caused more than half my class to be akumatized, not to mention a whole bunch of civilians. I mean, she's been getting better, I _guess_ , but like, she has still caused a lot of akumas.”

Queen Bee froze, but continued to act as if nothing had happened.

“So why was this akuma so hell-bent on chasing _you_?” she asked again. Nathaniel sighed.

“See, there was this new comic book coming out today,” he waved the comic book a little, “and I was kind of late to get to the store and by the time I got there here was only one left and so…”

“You took it,” Queen Bee finished.

“Yeah, but I'll give it back!” he quickly came to his own defense. “Just as soon as I'm done reading it...”

“You know, it didn't belong to you,” Queen Bee murmured, absently turning through the book in her own hands.

“I know,” he sighed, seemingly ignoring her as he read the new copy. Queen Bee shrugged in a way that suggested condescension despite its carelessness. Nathaniel bit his lip and ignored her.

A moment later, her trompo buzzed with an all-clear call from Ladybug, and she stood up.

“Ladybug’s done with the akuma and you're safe, so, I'll go now,” she informed him, waving slightly before leaving him in solitude.

Nathaniel’s arms flexed for a moment, as if urging him to give the comic to Queen Bee so she might return it to its true air, but in that moment he restrained himself and continued to ignore her presence until she was gone. Damn Queen Bee for making him feel guilty. Damn his _conscience_ for making him feel guilty.

Eventually he finished the book and went to his room. He distracted himself from the uncomfortable feeling gnawing at his mind by sketching some more of his own webcomic and coloring some of his older sketches. Finally as he lay in bed, sleep ready to take him over at last, he let the thoughts resurface.

“I'll give it back,” he promised to some other, all seeing entity. “Eventually.”

And with that, he fell asleep.

 

*

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

**Monday**

 

The clock must have been broken, and the sun, and his parents, and really every timekeeper in Paris, because it wasn't possible that less than ten minutes after Nathaniel fell asleep at 3:02, he found his bedroom flooded with sunlight and his mother shaking him to wake up or else he'd be late at school. Nathaniel also cursed whoever it was with the brilliant idea of placing science as first period on Monday mornings.

Mme Mendeleiev also seemed to dislike this arrangement, and she arrived in the classroom with only two minutes to spare before roll call and an extra large travel mug of black coffee. So black it was emo, but not to be coffee-racist.

And the several students in her class who clearly had no idea where they were in the bleary-mindedness of Monday morning did little to improve her mood. Usually she'd sentence them to detention without another thought, but today she felt generous and gave them something possibly worse. The teacher had a nasty habit of selecting ‘random’ students to go up to the board and write out some scientific law or diagram from memory, and if they did not meet her expectation, received detention. Chloe had soon realized he easy way to evade this was by volunteering as tribute every time so the violet-haired woman wouldn't pick on her. However, after some time of using this as well as her status to prevent her humiliation, Madame decided she wasn't going to put up with the special exemption anymore and placed her at the same measly rank as her classmates. Nathaniel noticed this, and although it brought him some satisfaction to see her get her comeuppance for some time, it did not, ultimately, prevent his own embarrassment.

Eventually, Mme Mendeleiev decided that none of the students were up to scratch today, and assigned them a project on the topics they were failing to learn, probably so she could escape teaching them today and spend some time behind her desk working (sleeping with her eyes open or else checking her social media).

“I don't have the time or energy to make pairs today, so you'll be paired with whoever you're sitting beside. Ivan can join another group. Don't like it, sue me, but not now,” she announced before retreating to her own desk.

Most of the class burst into excited conversation that could barely be passed as scientific, although Rose, Juleka and Alix did send him pitying glances before betraying him and engaging in conversation of their own. Nathaniel simply sat, staring at the smooth white desktop and feeling sorry for himself, completely ignoring the blonde beside him until she cleared her throat loudly and forced him to acknowledge her.

“What do you want, Chloe?” he sighed.

 

**What does Chloe want?**

**A) She wants to discuss to project**

**B) She asks if he's okay after the akuma yesterday**

**C) She insults him**

**D) She asks him why he's so disappointed that she's his partner**

**E) Other, so many possibilities!**

 

*******

 

**So last time the responses for what the title should be weren't very conclusive, so I decided I'll have you decide after looking at some TENTATIVE covers for them (Wattpad stories have covers and I was feeling artsy so I went overboard, hehe). Also, some criticisms or suggestions would be very much welcome ;D**

**A)[Bumblebees and Bluebirds](https://photos.app.goo.gl/RS3QO96UdyJv92sd2)**

**B)[Honey, Tomatoes & Drama](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ohfrjrzb3LTgdMq33)**

**C) No one particularly liked this one so it was scratched**

**D)[Chlonath: A Story of Stubborn Denial and Superhero Shenanigans](https://photos.app.goo.gl/QyfkBobMgNAp0hqC3)**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me if the links worked, and, as always, comment what you thought of the chapter


	29. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Chlonath interaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, for a Chlonath story, this fic is really lacking! So I fixed that. I hope...
> 
> Also, I still haven't been able to pick a title, but I've narrowed it down to B or D. Please help.

**NATHANIEL**

 

“I think it's pretty obvious that nobody's working right now, so I figured we shouldn't bother either,” the blonde replied. “Anyways, how are you feeling today? You seemed pretty sick last week.”

Nathaniel frowned before remembering that his civilian self hadn't seen Chloe since last Friday.

“Oh, yeah. I'm, um, better, I guess...thanks for the soup and stuff, by the way,” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“No problem,” she waved off. “So, I hear you got caught up in the akuma attack yesterday,” she paused, inviting him to elaborate.

“Yeah, I was...” he confirmed.

“What _was_ that all about, anyways?” she pressed on, to his dismay.

“Well, you know, somebody got akumatized and I was kind of there, and...” he trailed off, hoping that would satisfy her curiosity. Unfortunately, it wouldn't.

“Oh, really? It's just that I heard something different...” she said softly.

“Say, where did you find out that I was involved in the akuma yesterday?” he asked, suddenly defensive. “The Ladyblog’s been on hiatus since the new superheroes joined the team, and the press wasn't anywhere near the attack.”

“Well, see, I'm kind of good friends with one of the superheroes - Queen Bee,” she added hastily, “and she told me all about how the akuma was apparently targeting you.”

Nathaniel’s frown deepened.

“How much, exactly, did she tell you?” he inquired, hoping he didn't sound suspicious.

“Oh, um...” Chloe looked slightly taken aback and Nathaniel’s heart sank. “Not much, just that she had to, um, protect you while Ladybug defeated the supervillain...I just wanted to know why they were after you.”

The redhead nodded slowly.

“Well, basically I cut in line for this new comic book since there was only one copy left and the guy who would have been at the front got triggered and, yeah,” he explained in a rush.

“So...you...stole it, is what you're saying,” Chloe summarized.

“Okay, one, I paid for it, and two, like you're one to speak,” he snapped. “Who are you to tell me off for cutting in line and being selfish?”

“When did I _once_ tell you off?” she pointed out irritatedly. “All I wanted to know was how such a sensitive, nerdy, _dork_ caused an _akuma_.” She _hmph_ ed and flipped her hair as if to dismiss the subject.

“You'd be one to know,” he muttered under his breath.

“Well, excuse _you_ , but I haven't caused a single akuma in the last two weeks!” she fired back. Nathaniel took a moment to evaluate her claim, before being forced to admit she was right.

“Yeah, well you still cause more than half the akumatizations in Paris, almost all of the ones in this class,” he responded sullenly. “So what if I caused _one_?”

“I didn't say that you're a bad person for causing an akuma, I was trying to say that the least you could have done is stuck around until the end to _apologize_!” Chloe's tone was even, but with an edge to it, still.

“Like you've ever apologized to the people you akumatized,” he reminded. He wasn't sure exactly why he was so set on winning this argument - usually he wouldn't stoop this low, but somewhere between ‘causing an akuma’ and ‘sensitive, nerdy dork’, he shut up that logical part of his mind and turned to any weak bit of evidence he could use in his defense.

Anyways, that got Chloe quiet. Nathaniel was thankful and took that moment of blissful silence to pull out his phone and do something more interesting than debate with the bratty blonde beside him.

“You know what? _Fine,_ ” she spoke up suddenly. Nathaniel looked up halfheartedly.

“I'm done with people thinking I can't change and I'll only ever be nothing but a bratty snob, because I'm _not_ ,” she decided, then turned to the redhead.

“I'm sorry for humiliating you in front of the class for your crush on Marinette, although I _will_ inform you of your pitiful taste in girls,” she told him, and he froze.

“Mylène,” she addressed the girl who had claimed the seat in front of them to chat with her boyfriend, who now looked at the blonde in surprise. “I'm sorry for calling you a scaredy-cat and putting you down because I thought I should be the centre of attention. And I have to admit, you and Ivan are the sappiest, mushiest, most _adorable_ lovebirds I've seen,” she sniffed.

“Well, thanks, Chloe,” Mylène responded unsurely.

“Oh, and I'm sorry, Ivan, for all those times I made fun of you because of your size,” she added, now addressing the male.

Now some of the other classmates were turning to face them at the sudden lack of sound coming from that area of desks.

“I'm sorry for hurting your feelings and making fun of your perfume, Rose.” Rose smiled and accepted the apology, albeit slightly surprisedly.

“I'm sorry for locking you in the bathroom so I could be in the picture beside Adrien,” she looked at the goth girl ashamedly.

“I'm sorry for breaking your watch and mocking you for being a tomboy,” she apologized to Alix, who gaped.

“I'm sorry for rejecting you so harshly, Kim,” she told the jock.

“I'm sorry for teasing you because you're the smartest person in the class,” she said to Max, who nodded and seemed singularly unfazed. Now Chloe had the attention of everyone in the class save the teacher who sat behind the desk, completely unaware of her class’ activities.

“I'm sorry, Nino, for all the times I may have offended you or done anything to hurt your feelings.” The DJ blinked a few times before turning to whisper something in Adrien’s ear.

“I'm sorry, Alya, for being selfish and landing you a suspension, because your Ladyblog is actually amazing and I have to respect that you're the best journalist I've met.”

Chloe sighed and took a moment to gather the courage to make these next statements.

“Adrien, I'm sorry for hurting your friends and probably even your own feelings. I'm sorry for forcing you into situations you weren't comfortable with, and for not accepting that you don't return my feelings.”

She bit her lip and made her last apology.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I'm sorry for every single time I've put you down or insulted you or bullied you because I was jealous that you get all the attention and jealous of how everyone likes you and you don't even have to try. I'm really, deeply sorry for these last four years that I made you insignificant, or unworthy, or undeserving, because, really, you don't deserve any of that.”

Marinette stared, along with the rest of the class, now including Mme Mendeleiev, who looked shocked at these last words.

“Wow, um, that's really nice of you Chloe, I, um, don't think any of us were expecting that, but, uh...I accept your apology,” the bluenette finished awkwardly.

“I would, er, also like to apologize for some times that I have disrespected my students,” the teacher spoke up. “Specifically those who didn't deserve to be called out and embarrassed in front of their classmates. I sometimes belittle my students because of their grades, but you should know that each and every one of you is incredibly talented in your own way, and your science mark should not define your value as a person.” She looked around the class at every face frozen with surprise.

“Now, I assigned you a project, so back to work!” she called, as if nothing had happened. The class took a moment to recollect themselves and return to conversation, but Nathaniel remained mute as he sat down again.

“Now what do you say?” the blonde beside him asked.

“You've really changed,” Nathaniel remarked, peering at her oddly with that one visible eye.

“So I have,” she agreed unconcernedly. “What are you going to do?”

“Return that comic book,” he mumbled, looking away.

“I'd say that's a good place to start,” she approved, opening her textbook to find the topic they were studying. Meanwhile, Nathaniel sat, thinking.

 _When did the universe come to the point that I'm taking advice from Chloe Bourgeois?_ he asked himself, before shaking his head and joining said girl in the present.

 

*

 

**CHLOE**

 

The next two weeks passed by in a routine of homework, projects, that pop quiz the whole class failed, and several akuma attacks to embellish Chloe's already full schedule. She hadn't found a single break for relaxation or self-indulgence, and her hair and nails were suffering. However, despite all the rush and confusion and panic of these times, she did manage to notice some things. Lila was not that bad of a person. Marinette actually made pretty good cookies. Adrien was due for a visit from Poison Control any day now, and should not be trusted with an oven. Nathaniel was...changing.

She hadn't really noticed much at first - the earliest thing she remembered was that he had come to school on Friday that week in a baggy hoodie instead of his usual grey jacket. Then he arrived on Monday in the same hoodie, with a peek of a dark shirt underneath to replace his ordinary blaring red. He also seemed suddenly taller, although he still wore those same violet pants he had donned for the past year. _Wait, didn't he used to cuff them before?_ Chloe didn't remember, but last time she checked, she had been at least tall enough to see over his hair on flat soles.

By the third week, he had eliminated the hoodie altogether, and now there was a red-checkered flannel to frame the bold tee, which now displayed an array of _very_ flashy Quantum Comics decals. When Chloe finally managed to look at him without squinting, there was no doubt about it - they were even. He might even be a millimetre taller than she, but now that Chloe had swapped out her flats for heels, she could still look down at him. Unfortunately, this did not fool the rest of the class, and the short redhead was blossoming into a slim figure who stood level with the middle of Adrien’s forehead. Adrien’s. He wasn’t a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure.

He was also becoming more confident. After Chloe’s groundbreaking apology, the class was becoming more welcoming of the heiress, and Nathaniel, especially, seemed less hesitant to talk to her directly. He was stuttering less, and the two had actually maintained some stable conversation working on the project, or even as deskmates.

The one thing that hadn’t changed was his hair. Those obnoxiously red bangs were still covering his left eye, and Chloe wished more than ever that she could chop them right off and see his transformation complete. She wasn’t sure why she felt this urge every time she saw the teen, but it was annoying having to hide her balled fists whenever they interacted; lest he mistake her readying for a fight.

In fact, Chloe found herself changing as well, along with the redhead, but in an almost reverse. She found herself growing warmer when he spoke to her, and her voice started wavering whenever she replied. She didn’t remember anything like this ever happening with anyone else, not Adrien, or _maybe_ Marinette (although with the latter, it was more out of anger than anything else). She decided she might have to see the doctor next time she found a break from school, getting her own life into order, and Hawk Moth.

 

**I think we all know what’s happening to Chloe, but what is she going to do with the truth?**

**A) Ask a friend (who?)**

**B) Figure it out subconsciously, but deny, DENY, _DENYYY_**

**C) Go to the doctor**

**D) Insult him in efforts to convince herself otherwise**

**E) Uhh, any other ways we can go about this? I'm listening...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. Let me know if it moved too fast, too slow? PLEASE TELL ME.
> 
> Also, PLEASE help me pick between B (Honey, Tomatoes & Drama) and D (Chlonath: a story...)
> 
> Thanks a bunch! I love you!


	30. False Diagnosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or so she says

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was fast! I posted it on Sunday night then woke up to an inbox of wonderful comments next morning, which basically powered me through The-Day-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named.
> 
> Anyways, I'm slowly posting this to Wattpad if you'd prefer it there, or whatever. 
> 
> Also, I kind of mushed a bunch of the responses together to get this, and I hope it works!
> 
> Without further ado, on with the story!

**CHLOE**

 

The classroom was unbearably hot that day, and the sunlight shining through the windows was more of a curse than a help. Chloe sat, fanning herself with her notebook while Mme Bustier droned on about something or other. The second hand on the clock was clicking sluggishly, an irritating background noise to the already suffocating discomfort of the classroom. Nathaniel sat beside her, doodling lazily in the margin of his notes, hair falling low enough that she couldn’t catch a peek. There was something strangely mesmerizing about the way his hair hung in front of his face, bits clinging around his jaw from sweat. He was bent over his drawings, not fully engaged in the art, but casual and boredly at ease. His head was supported on one arm while the other hand swept a pencil back and forth across the page; leaving thick streaks of pale graphite to shade the rough sketches. He appeared completely oblivious to both the classroom around him, and the blonde watching him keenly.

Finally the bell rang, signalling the beginning of lunch. Some students, like Kim, jumped out of their seats and all but sprinted to the door; while others took some time to wake themselves up from daydreams and collect their belongings.

“Don’t forget, finals are just around the corner! Make the most of these two coming weeks to revise - don’t wait and end up cramming the night before!” Mme Bustier reminded them before the early escapees could make it fully through the door.

Nathaniel brought the back of his hand to his mouth to suppress a yawn, carelessly tossing his books into a pile and into his bag. Chloe picked up her own things, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her sleeve before going after him towards the front of the classroom and passing ahead when he stopped to talk to Adrien about something. Most of the class was making plans to get lunch, then head to the library to study; Chloe no different. She tiredly dialled the number of her favorite sushi place before following a group of students up the stairs. At least the library was cooler than the classroom.

“Who are you looking at?”

A teasing voice snapped the blonde out of whatever daze she was in, and she whipped around to see Marinette and Alya smiling at her.

“Mind if we sit here?” Marinette asked, gesturing to the table that was currently empty except for the heiress.

“Oh, yeah, go ahead,” she allowed distractedly. Alya took the place next to her best friend and leaned over to see whatever it was that Chloe had been staring at before - Adrien sat at a table explaining something to Nathaniel.

“Really? I thought you were over Adrien,” the blogger commented. “I mean, you seemed like you were fine with being just friends at the bakery, but I could be mistaken...” she gave a meaningful glance in Marinette’s direction.

“I am,” Chloe affirmed, craning her neck to see around the bookshelves.

“Soo…?” Alya prompted, poking the blonde lightly. She snapped back to attention.

“I got over Adrien months ago; I just wanted to keep him away from Marinette,” Chloe explained, and Marinette raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

“So why are you trying to watch him?” the brunette pressed on, looking at them, too. “Unless it isn’t him…?”

“What exactly are you trying to say, Césaire?” Chloe asked with an edge to her voice.

“Nothing, I’m just wondering why you’re so interested in them and not studying,” she replied.

“I don’t know,” Chloe sighed. “I just feel so weird right now. I’m so tired, and I have a headache. I should probably go see a doctor, if only I had the time.”

Marinette looked concerned.

“You okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I mean, I think so,” the blonde assured her. “I don’t even know. I mean, I have a headache after that ridiculously boring class, but I think something’s wrong with me. Most doctors are pretty busy these days, I’ll try to see if I can find time to make an appointment.” She sighed and put her head down on the table.

“Yeah, it’s pretty hard to find time now that exams are coming up,” Alya agreed.

“Actually, if you need a doctor, I know a guy who’s almost always available. We could go right now, even, if you want,” Marinette suggested.

“Really?” Chloe asked skeptically. “I don’t think there’s enough time before lunch ends...”

“We can get lunch while we’re at it, too,” Alya decided.

“Well, okay then,” Chloe shrugged in accord, and the three girls packed away their belongings and headed outside into the sweltering heat.

A few minutes later, Chloe nearly collapsed through the door of a small...massage parlor? She wasn’t quite sure exactly what this place was. The room was empty save for a short old man in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

“Um, hello,” Chloe greeted the man. “I’m here to see the doctor...is there a doctor here?” she asked uncertainly.

“I am a sort of doctor, I suppose,” the man replied mysteriously. “A spiritual healer, if you will. But it depends on what kind of diagnosis you seek.”

“Ummm, okay?” Chloe was starting to have second thoughts about this guy.

“Sit down, and tell me about what you need my help for,” the man invited, and she complied. Alya and Marinette also sat down beside her.

“So, uh, I don’t know if I’m sick or something, but recently I’ve started feeling really weird when I’m at school,” she explained. The man nodded.

“Define weird,” he prompted.

“Um, well, like, I start getting super warm and my hands get all sweaty and I start stammering instead of talking properly,” she elaborated.

“Hmm, and this happens at school in general, or is there a specific location or situation in which this happens?” he asked. Chloe frowned.

“Well, er, it happens a lot when I’m at my desk, I guess...” she said vaguely, and in her peripheral vision she could see Alya raise an eyebrow.

“And when you interact with anyone, this happens?” he inquired.

“Um, no. See, it only really happens when I’m talking to this one guy in my class, uh, his name’s Nathaniel,” she said, voice dropping to a mumble. _Why was saying this suddenly so uncomfortable?_

The man looked satisfied and smiled, clapping his hands together.

“Ah, I see what is happening,” he decided. “I believe you have reached that time in your life at which girls have only one thing on their mind.”

“Fashion?” Chloe guessed, and he shook his head.

“Boys!” Alya burst out, looking gleeful. “I totally called it! Nathaniel, right! Oh my gosh, you are _so_ crushing on him!”

“Alya,” Marinette reprimanded, then turned to the blonde. “Don’t worry, Chloe, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re really redeeming yourself, and I bet he’ll return your feelings,” she assured her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chloe snapped, grabbing her bag. “I came here for medical advice and instead I got this. I’ll bet you’re not even a real doctor anyways,” she concluded with a huff, jumping up and deliberately walking out the door.

“Hey, wait, no, Chloe, come back!” Alya called after her, voice drowning out when Chloe slammed the door behind her.

The entire walk back was full of irritated curses and swears under her breath at really anything - the heat, this news, the fact that Alya was never going to let her live this down, the fact that Alya had to be in the library to begin with, the fact that Nathaniel had to exist to begin with, the pigeons flying around her, the police siren blaring down the road, the large group of students blocking her way through the front doors of the school. She practically stomped up the stairs to the library, all thoughts of lunch vanishing along with her temper. The heiress simply sat there, seething in her own anger until a much more pleasant source of radiance set himself down beside her.

“Hey, Chlo, you okay?” Adrien asked concernedly.

“I’m fine,” she replied laconically through tight teeth.

“Why are you so angry?” he asked. “Stress catching up to you? I know Nathaniel was probably about to have a breakdown when I was going over some topics with hi-”

“Can you just shut up about that stupid redhead for five minutes,” she snapped, and he leaned back, surprised. She softened. “Sorry, I’m just having a really bad day.”

“I have time,” the model offered. Chloe sighed.

“So I have to go to the doctor and Marinette recommended some crazy old geezer who clearly doesn’t know anything about anything, and anyways, his explanation for my symptoms was that I was _crushing_ on _Nathaniel_. Ridiculous, right?” she remarked.

“Well, what did you tell him?” Adrien asked.

“I said I’d been having this thing where I get hot all over and can’t talk right when I’m talking to him, and he’s all like ‘you’ve reached that special time’ nonsense blah, blah, blah - what’s that look on your face?” she asked, noting the impish grin adorning his angelic features. He looked at her with a devilish smile, raising his eyebrows and she gaped in outrage.

“ _You have a crush on Nathaniel, you have a crush on Nathaniel,_ ” he whispered in a rebellious chant.

“ _I do NOT!_ ” she hissed.

“ _You have a crush on Nathaniel, you have a crush on Nathaniel._ ” he whispered in a rebellious chant.

“ _Shut up!_ ” she burst out, and he laughed before silencing at her glare.

“Okay, fine, I’ll stop,” he relented. “But really, I can go talk to him if you want,” he offered.

 

**What is Chloe's response?**

**A) "Uh, really? You'd do that for me?"**

**B) "I told you, I don't have a crush on him!"**

**C) "You know what, I'm done with you." *huffs and walks away***

**D) "I can talk to him myself, thanks."**

**E) Give me your ideas! All of them! MINE! :P**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this chapter is a tad shorter than others as of late, but I do have school again now, so that's most inconvenient. Also, updates may or may not be delayed depending on how generous my teachers are feeling this semester.


	31. Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals coming up means stress for students in more ways than one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I just had one thing I wanted to say, and I hope it doesn't come across as sensitive or desperate or anything, but it really motivates me when you let me know what you thought of the chapter in the comments. I'm not pointing any fingers or trying to offend anyone, but sometimes some of your comments are responses for the option, but it kind of feels like you aren't enjoying the story anymore, or at least not as much. I really want to give back to you and I really appreciate feedback, but I really hope you like the latest chapters as much as you enjoyed the previous ones. Believe me, it isn't repetitive at all when you comment 'great chapter' on every chapter, or offensive when you comment everything I could have done better. I just really want to make sure I'm delivering the story YOU want, and if you don't like it, PLEASE TELL ME.  
> I'm not trying to come off as desperate, I just need to know if you're actually enjoying what I'm writing so I can improve  
> Thank you!

**CHLOE**

 

“I told you already, I don’t have a crush on him!” she insisted. “And, besides, I can talk to him myself,” she added, turning her head to the other side.

“Mhmm,” Adrien replied in mocking skepticism.

“I can!” Chloe emphasized, “I’ll do it right now if you don’t believe me!”

“Oh really? Then do it,” her childhood friend dared.

“Fine,” she decided, getting up.

She found the redhead browsing a shelf for some books and marched right up to him.

“Hey!” she called, a bit louder than was probably necessary. Nathaniel just about jumped, turning to see the source of the noise, then relaxing when he identified her.

“Oh, hi, Chloe,” he said. “What’s up?” he smiled good-naturedly and suddenly Chloe’s mind went blank.

“You!” she said accusingly, for lack of ideas for a response.

“...me?” he prompted bemusedly.

“You-you stop making me feel things!” she finally spluttered out.

“Sorry, did I hurt your feelings, or…?” Nathaniel asked concernedly, and Chloe wanted to slap that endearing look off his face. He looked so genuinely worried and she was fighting with herself to not blush.

“Don’t act all innocent!” she snapped, heat rushing to her cheeks (from anger or something else, she wasn’t sure). “I don’t know what kind of spell you’ve cast on me, but as the- as your classmate and peer, I demand you take it off me!”

“Look, Chloe,” Nathaniel explained calmly in awareness of the people now looking at them with interest at Chloe’s shout, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if there’s a problem or I did something to upset, I am most very sorry.”

Chloe’s hands fidgeted at her sides, growing warm. She looked down quickly, avoiding that worried expression that she was somehow falling weakness to.

“No, um...” she replied uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for accusing you of making me feel weird,” she mumbled, avoiding his eyes. She was slightly hunched over in bashfulness, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, she could actually see most of both eyes.

“O-kay...” he said unsurely, watching her with expectation.

“Chloe!” Alya came bounding over to the blonde, and Nathaniel turned to acknowledge her presence. The blogger keeled over, panting for a few moments.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” she told the other girl. “You just ran off and we had no idea where you went! Soo...” she finally stood up straight, raising her eyebrows suggestively in the direction of the redhead. Chloe balled her hands into fists and prayed that the girl wouldn’t leak anything to Nathaniel.

“Um, is something wrong, Chloe?” Nathaniel spoke up. “You look a little...”

Chloe instantly changed her expression from glaring daggers and furiously making faces at Alya hoping to get her message across, to a calm and relaxed demeanor.

“Of course I’m fine,” she smiled widely, laughing a little to shake off suspicion. “I’m so sorry, Alya, I _completely_ forgot that we were going to, um, go get sushi for lunch together! Hehe...” she chuckled lightly, casting a very meaningful look at Alya to play along. Alya raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“ _Riight_ ,” Alya didn’t look convinced, but to Chloe’s relief, did not question. “So, anyways, how is studying going for you two? Exams coming up pretty quick, huh?” she changed the subject.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Nathaniel groaned. “Everything just goes in through one ear and right out through the other,” he sighed.

“I know right?” Chloe said hastily. “It feels like it’s too early for end-of-year finals.”

“And then it’s off to lycée,” Alya reminded.

“Yep,” Nathaniel agreed. “I don’t think I’ll even see any of you next year. Which high school are you going to?”

“I’ll be at Zag,” Alya informed them. “It has a lot of electives classes, so it’ll be better for me to figure out what career I’m going to pursue.”

“Nice,” the redhead approved. “What about you?” he asked Chloe.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m going to Astruc,” she replied.

“Bronn,” Nathaniel finished, and Chloe wasn’t sure why her heart sank the way it did. _Shouldn’t she be happy she wouldn’t have to see him again?_

“Yeah, they’re known for their arts courses,” the blogger noted. “But I don’t think a lot of people are going there. I know Marinette is, but I don’t know about anyone else.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s where we go our separate ways, then,” Nathaniel commented, running a hand through his hair so it was fully out of his eyes for a moment. “Well, I have to go now. Nice talking to you,” he waved.

“See you later,” Alya replied.

“Bye,” Chloe said absently, snapping back to reality when Alya nudged her.

“You know what that means,” the brown-haired girl said.

“What?” the heiress asked.

“You only have two weeks to confess before you never see him again!”

Chloe glared.

“I do _not_ have a crush on him!” she asserted.

“ _Suuure_ ,” Alya shrugged, resetting her bag on her shoulder and leaving.

“I don’t,” the blonde repeated to herself after the other was gone, with less and less conviction each time.

Suddenly, Adrien jumped out from behind and bookshelf and Chloe nearly fell over in surprise.

“Don’t do that!” she flared, smoothing her cardigan and patting her hair.

“Sorry,” the blond replied, not sounding very sorry. Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Anyways, I talked to him, so now you can’t pester me anymore,” she poked a finger into his chest.

“Actually, now I’m only _more_ convinced that you like him,” he grinned, waving his phone at her. She grabbed it, looking at the picture on the screen. It was taken from the side, before Alya arrived, and Chloe was…

“Blushing much?” Adrien remarked, snatching it back as Chloe’s face heated up again. Her face in the photo mirrored the shade of the other subject’s hair.

“I was _not_ ,” she said. “I’m _sick_.”

“Oh, really?”

“ _Yes._ ” With a final warning glare at the model, she whipped around and purposefully walked away.

When she got home, though, she was even less convinced of her sentiment. Irritatedly reading Alya’s teasing messages, then ultimately throwing her phone across the room when the girl would not shut up, she forced herself to hit her head multiple times on varying surfaces to shake her and Adrien’s words from her mind. She groaned and threw herself onto the bed, sending the sheets billowing up around her. Her kwami zoomed out of her bag and flew to her holder.

“What’s happening to me, Pollen?” Chloe asked anxiously. Pollen sighed and nuzzled the girl’s cheek.

“It’ll be okay,” Pollen assured her, inwardly facepalming. Chloe shifted and reached for her phone, the screen still displaying those teasing messages. She sighed.

“Two weeks, huh?” she repeated thoughtfully.

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

Meanwhile, a red-haired artist was about losing his mind over quite another problem.

“So if I want to take my choice electives, I have to scrape at least a 75% in all major subjects,” he reminded himself, feverishly flipping through textbooks in hopes of at least some degree of retention. “And right now I have 92% in math, 86% in French, 83% in history and geography, and 67% in Science. At least that’s up from the 42% a few months ago...”

“Relax, Nathaniel,” Duusu soothed. “You’ll study better if you’re not freaking out.”

Her Chosen ignored her for a few stressful minutes before he slammed the book shut and dropped his head onto it. After a few moments, he sat up.

“You’re right, but how am I supposed to calm down like this? I barely know any of these concepts...”

“Maybe you could change them into something that helps you with memory. An acronym, or a mnemonic...” she suggested.

“I’ve tried, but then I forget what the letters are supposed to stand for,” he groaned. “And not all of the topics include diagrams.”

“Then at least find something that helps you relax. Just take a break,” the kwami advised. “Also, I don’t think this music is really helping you.” Nathaniel glanced at the vinyl on his record player, logo mirroring the one on his old shirts. He tossed the disc onto his bed and the music stopped.

“I don’t know how to relax when I’m so stressed about finals,” Nathaniel persisted.

“Okay, fine. If you can’t take a break, at least try studying _without_ distractions,” she recommended, picking up his phone and casually tossing it out the window. He leapt up and stared at the falling device through the window, wincing when it landed on the asphalt with a tragic _crack_.

“My phone!” he cried, alarmed, then glared at the floating blue god. “The heck was that for?!”

“Well, since you can’t go five minutes without checking your phone, I reasoned you’d be better off studying without it,” Duusu said unconcernedly.

“But now it’s gone!” he said, eyes still wide in shock and horror. “Do you have any idea how much that thing cost? Not to mention all my files stored on there!”

“Didn’t you say that all your files automatically sync to your cloud?” the kwami asked.

“Yeah, but how am I supposed to get a new one? My parents are going to kill me when they find out...” he jumped up and started pacing anxiously.

“Well, I suppose it helps that you work for a millionaire fashion designer who had absolutely no problem providing you with a new wardrobe once you outgrew your old one,” Duusu pointed out dryly.

“I haven’t even worn any of the things he sent me,” Nathaniel commented, glancing at the pile in his closet, the labels plastered with his classmate’s profile still in place on the fabric. The redhead vowed to himself never to wear anything that had Adrien’s face on its tags.

“Yeah, but I’ll bet he could get you a really good phone if you asked him,” she explained.

“I guess so, but then how would I explain to my parents that I suddenly have a new phone. Aren’t you supposed to be a secret?” he said. Duusu shrugged.

“And on top of that, how am I supposed to ask Mr. Agreste for a phone if I don’t _have_ a phone to contact him? His number’s saved on that thing!”

“It really isn’t as big of a problem as you’re making it out to be. For now, study, then later you can think about a replacement phone.”

“Ugh,” Nathaniel groaned.

“You should at least feel lucky that there hasn’t been a single akuma this week,” she reprimanded. “Imagine having to fight akumas on top of all this!”

“I wouldn’t even bother at that point,” he sighed. “Okay then, onto molecular equations...”

Nathaniel had to admit Duusu was right. He was a lot more productive in the absence of his phone, and he had gotten halfway through the textbook when the home phone rang.

“Hello, Kurtzberg residence, who am I speaking to?” he asked.

 

**Who's on the other side of the line?**

**A) Chloe**

**B) Gabriel**

**C) An akuma**

**D) One of his classmates**

**E) Other, suggestions?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of mashed some responses together. I dunno if it worked though...
> 
> Yeah, the names of the high schools are not very creative at all, sorry
> 
> Also, I'm sick, so I'm not sure if I did as well as I usually do. I hope you enjoyed, though. Please let me know if you did.
> 
> ~Allya


	32. Author's Note

Due to unforseen circumstances this story is on hiatus until further notice

thank you


	33. I don't want to believe it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denial and an explanation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your caring comments. They really do mean a lot to me.
> 
> I've been having some personal stuff going on lately, so I'll let you know ahead of time what I mean when I use the term 'hiatus'
> 
> I'll still update, as I did today, but the updates will be MUCH less regular, more sporadic and random. I won't be able to inform you when to expect the next chapter, but I hope you can expect one, as my schedule allows.
> 
> Thank you all so very much.

**NATHANIEL**

 

“Oh, hi, Nath.” A male voice came from the other side.

“Adrien?” the redhead asked for confirmation.

“Yeah, I tried your cell, but you weren’t picking up...”

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I, umm...accidentally dropped it out the window, yeah...earlier.” Nathaniel coughed quickly.

“You dropped your phone out the window by accident?! What happened?” Adrien sounded concerned.

“Oh, nothing really. I was just, uhh...playing this game and I, er, lost, so I got kind of mad and threw it, hehe,” he laughed lightly. “It’s fine, I’ll get a new one as soon as I can.”

“If you say so, anyways, I was wondering if you might want to come by later to study. We didn’t get through much at the library, so...” the blond said.

“Um, okay, sure. When?”

“Maybe, ten minutes?” Adrien offered.

“Oh, okay, yeah, that sounds fine. See you then.”

“You too,” the model replied, and the line went dead.

Nathaniel placed the receiver back in its holder and glared at Duusu.

“Seriously, you couldn’t have just hidden it? You _had_ to break it?” he asked her annoyedly.

“Hey, you’re the one who couldn’t focus on studying. I was only trying to help,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, but phones don’t come easy. Plus I’ll have to reprogram all my contacts,” he sighed. “Anyways, let’s go.”

Nathaniel got to the Agreste mansion in the promised ten minutes. Adrien welcomed him into the house; both disappearing into his spacious bedroom after giving a courteous greeting to his father and said male’s assistant. The heir seemed unusually restless and bouncy today, and Nathaniel wondered if he had overdosed on sugar before he had arrived. In any case, he calmed down once they’d settled onto his bed to begin revising.

Duusu discreetly zipped out of the redhead’s flannel as soon as he sat down, probably to seek out Adrien’s own kwami, whoever and wherever it was. The next little while was spent in futile attempts to memorize paragraphs, create practical acronyms, and research effective study methods and tools.

“Soo, Nathaniel,” Adrien started casually.

“Hmm?” Nathaniel didn’t break his gaze from the four monitors displaying a wikihow article on subtly cheating on exams.

“The school year’s almost over. Noticed any changes since the start of the year? We’ve grown pretty close as a class...” he prompted.

“Yeah, definitely. A lot of us got a lot more mature, I guess, mentally and physically. I finally grew, for one thing,” he chuckled, and the other joined him in accord.

“I think Chloe’s changed a lot, in particular,” the blond commented, a hint of suggestion in his tone.

“Yeah, she has...” the redhead murmured, scrolling down to method number 4.

“What do you think of her?” Adrien jumped suddenly, landing almost in the other teen’s lap. He shifted so he was lying on the bed, chin in his hands in front of Nathaniel.

“Huh?” he asked, taken aback. “What do I think of what-now?”

“Chloe,” Adrien repeated, waggling his eyebrows very slightly.

“Uh, I dunno... what do you mean?” Nathaniel looked confused.

“You, know...what do you think of her…?” Adrien tried to sound subtly suggestive.

“Well, I mean, she could be a nice friend, I suppose, if we could leave the past behind us...” the artist trailed off, resembling a deer caught in headlights.

“What do you mean by that?” the model pressed on, slightly disappointed.

“I mean, she’s improving in the way she acts, but we’ve all been through so much with her, it’s just...I guess it’s just hard to move past that, but I guess maybe someday I could accept her as a friend. For now, we’re acquaintances at best,” he explained.

“Are you _sure_?” Adrien raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah…? Why not?” Nathaniel asked suspiciously.

“Uh, no reason, nothing at all,” he backed off quickly. “So...find anything useful?” he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“Not really...” Nathaniel murmured, skimming through tabs and websites. The door opened and Adrien jumped up.

“Your father awaits you both for dinner,” Nathalie informed the two teens.

“Me too?” the still-shorter one asked.

“I hope you don’t mind staying over for dinner,” Nathalie said.

“I don’t think so, but I’d have to let my parents know first, and I don’t have my phone on me right now...” he patted his pockets.

“That’s fine, your parents will be informed. Now come, both of you.” She led them downstairs to the huge dining hall.

“Did I mention how insanely big your house is?” Nathaniel asked his classmate, hand trailing on the smooth marble railing in marvel. Adrien laughed.

“Only like, five times. Everyone says that about this place. It’s nice, but it gets lonely pretty quick,” he commented.

“I’d think so,” the redhead agreed, remembering the few inhabitants of the mansion. “There’s some pretty awesome art, though. I can’t even imagine how much the decoration must cost.”

“A lot,” Adrien decided for both of them as they sat down at the long table. “Where’s my father? He _is_ coming this time, right?”

“You needn’t doubt my reliability,” Gabriel answered coolly, appearing behind them.

“Evening, father,” the model muttered glumly.

“Good evening, sir,” Nathaniel responded quickly.

“To you too,” he replied, taking his own seat.

A moment later, a chef arrived with a large variety of exquisite food on gleaming platters. He set one down and Duusu quietly zoomed out from beneath, hiding in Nathaniel’s hair. The teen helped himself to some pasta and sauce and dug in happily.

“This food is really good,” he expressed to the male beside him, who perked up slightly.

“I’m glad you enjoy it,” he smiled, still a bit sadly, and started to put in some for himself.

“That’s _it_?!” Nathaniel swallowed a large bite and poked his fork at Adrien’s considerably smaller helping. “Dude, you need to eat more!” he told him, piling some more cheese onto the other’s plate.

“Says _the one_ ,” Adrien replied, plopping another spoonful onto the redhead’s. “You barely eat anything yourself.”

“Hey, I can’t eat that much!” Nathaniel defended.

“Neither can I!” Adrien whispered back.

“Fine, I’ll finish mine if you finish yours,” the artist decided.

“Deal. _Completely_ finish, by the way,” the blond added, taking a bite.

“Ugh, I’m so full, I don’t think I even have room for dessert,” he concluded, fifteen minutes later when the entrées had been whisked away and replaced with mountains of sweetness.

“Same,” Nathaniel groaned, slouching back into his seat. Gabriel was quietly eyeing them over the tablet in his hand, and the redhead quickly straightened up. “Actually, I think I’ll have some of this,” he decided, cutting a large slice of cheesecake and placing it in his plate. He cut an equally large one and dropped it into the adjacent plate. Adrien glared at him.

“Oh, you are _on_ ,” he threatened, snatching up a spoonful and stuffing it in his mouth. Nathaniel followed suit, and for some time, neither spoke, intent on filling their mouths with as much cake, custard, and pudding as possible.

“So,” Gabriel finally spoke up. “How are your studies going?” he asked dryly. Nathaniel gulped down a glass of iced tea.

“Well, exams are coming up, so we’re really just studying for our finals at this point,” he said, and Adrien nodded.

“Yes, I suppose it must be a very stressful time for you,” the man commented. “But stressful and difficult times often bring out the best or worst in people, although mere collège exams are hardly comparable to such, I suppose.”

“I mean, I’m on the verge of having a mental breakdown, so I don’t know what you’re trying to say about ‘mere collège exams’,” Nathaniel shrugged, and continued eating. Adrien gave him a long, curious side-glance before turning back to his own plate.

“Well, it could be quite a lot worse. There could be an akuma on the day of the test,” he suggested.

“So we wouldn’t have to do the test,” Nathaniel replied easily, while Adrien froze suddenly.

“What do akumas have to do with anything?” he asked carefully.

“It was only a thought,” Gabriel assured them, although Adrien still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced.

“Weird thought,” he muttered into his whipped cream.

“Well, I think that’s all I’ll have for today,” Nathaniel stretched slightly, patting his stomach. “I’ll go get my things. Thanks for the meal,” he acknowledged his benefactor and the fashion designer nodded. Adrien stood up, too.

“I’ll go get them with you,” he offered, leading him back to his bedroom.

Nathaniel collected his things and piled them back into his bag, Adrien clearing away his own.

“Say, since when were you so casual with my father?” Adrien asked in an offhand way, and Nathaniel stilled for a moment.

“What do you mean?” he asked awkwardly.

“You know what I mean,” Adrien said, much more edgily than was usual. “You can hardly talk to anyone at school and suddenly you’re totally comfortable talking to the tyrant of all tyrants. Try telling me that’s normal.”

“Well, I was just answering his questions...” he said uncertainly.

“Whatever,” Adrien shrugged, huffing slightly.

“Uh, Adrien, you okay?” he peered curiously at the other.

“I’m fine, now weren’t you supposed to leave?” he reminded.

“Yeah, uh, bye,” he waved a little and left the room, lightly stepping down the stairs and exiting the house.

The sun was setting and the walk back home was decorated with an overhang of vivid streaks of purple, red, pink, orange and blue. It reminded Nathaniel of that first night he’d transformed and spent with Queen Bee. He sighed, pausing for a moment to take in the cool evening breeze. It was a nice contrast to the sweltering heat of the daytime. In the distance, he could make out illuminated windows of apartment buildings and offices shutting down for the night. Higher up, one of the top suites of Le Grand Paris was alight, the warm glow lighting up the nearby area of the air. Looking closer, Nathaniel identified it as Chloe’s own suite - in fact, the heiress herself was outside on the balcony, probably enjoying this same atmosphere of peace and calmness. She leaned onto the railing, looking out to the horizon, her hair dramatically flying out behind her in the strengthening wind. She was smiling slightly, he could barely see that, or maybe he was just imagining it. Her silhouette stood out against the darkening backdrop, and he decided he was not going to sleep tonight before he drew this. So what if Chloe was barely an acquaintance - she was so perfectly and so naturally posed in this picture-ready moment, the landscape and scenery so fitting it was marvellous - if she could ignite inspiration like that inside the artist, she was his muse.

Adrien’s earlier words floated back to him and he stopped for a second to contemplate why he had felt so taken off-guard by them. _What did he think of her_ \- well, he thought she was headstrong and bossy and forceful, and manipulative and persuasive and confident, and sassy and extra and sweet and beautiful, no. No. No, he was not going to think that. No matter how nice she pretended to be, or how aesthetically pleasing she was in this moment, or how the damned wind just _had_ to be blowing in _that_ particular direction, or how the sky just so _happened_ to display those awe-inspiring hues on _that_ side of the horizon tonight so that it could be reflected in the windows of _that_ hotel suite, those words were not for Chloe. Were not, would not, could not. Nathaniel physically shook himself to clear his mind and hurried back home. Meanwhile, Chloe’s attention was momentarily diverted by a tiny speck of red flashing past her peripheral field of vision, but she shook it off as a stray cat or animal, and turned back to the city before her.

 

*

 

Nathaniel dropped his bag by the door and threw himself onto the couch. He lay there for some time in hopeless despair and self-chastisement and contemplation before resolving not to sacrifice any more mental energy on the subject. He roughly sketched out the picture now burned into his memory, crumpled it up, threw it away, and banged his head on his desk a few times before something else bounced up and nearly clattered to the floor. He grabbed the box just before it hit the ground and scooped it up to examine it. _Contents: One portable charging unit, one charging cable, one smartphone._ Nathaniel stared. He stared some more. Duusu flew up and joined him in staring. After a second, she spoke up.

“Your boss sure is creepy, huh?”

“No kidding,” Nathaniel agreed, eyes wide. He turned over to see the price tag, nearly dropping it in shock. Finally, he pried open the glass casing (even the casing was embedded with semi-rare gemstones), and clicked on the phone. The lock screen was identical to his old one. The passcode was identical to his old one. Every contact - intact, every application - exactly where it was on his old device. The only difference was the body - sleeker and very clearly much more costly. Even the apps he’d had open before Duusu’s ‘favor’ were still open. Creepy, very. But Nathaniel wasn’t going to complain about his master’s generosity. Instead, he swiped to the messenger app to check all the texts he had missed, and busied himself for the next little while replying to them.

 

***

 

 **Adrien:** Hey bro

 **Nino:** Sup man

 **Adrien:** Kk so idk if u noticed

 **Adrien:** But chloes been changing alot l8ly

 **Nino:** U dont say…

 **Adrien:** Shhhh

 **Adrien:** Kk but like

 **Adrien:** The thing is

 **Adrien:** I think she likes som1

 **Nino:** Yeah, u

 **Adrien:** Noooooo

 **Adrien:** I mean, som1 elseee

 **Nino:** Yah?

 **Adrien:** Nathaniel

 **Nino:** Omg no

 **Nino:** Stahp right there

 **Nino:** Ive been litening to alya go on about his for like fiv hours

 **Nino:** U cant be srs

 **Adrien:** I assure you that I CAT be completely serious, and I am by no means KITTEN you right MEOW

 **Nino:** …

 **Nino:** Wtf dude

 **Nino:** Stahppp

 **Nino:** I mean it bro

 **Nino:** Ur like the epitome of cringe

 **Adrien:** ;(

 **Adrien:** You hurt my FELINES

 **Nino:** …

 **Nino:** Since when do u have kids?

 **Nino:** >:D

 **Adrien:** …

 **Adrien:** What even…

 **Nino:** Nvm

 **Adrien:** YOU DID NOT

 **Nino:** NVM

 **Adrien:** Thats like

 **Adrien:** So werid thooo

 **Adrien:** Like

 **Adrien:** Wtff

 **Nino:** N V M M M M

 **Adrien:** Kk

 **Adrien:** But anyways

 **Adrien:** Wait

 **Adrien:** You said alya?

 **Adrien:** She knows too?

 **Nino:** Yeah apparntly chloes suffering from a yearning heart

 **Nino:** Symptoms include

 **Nino:** Sweating, blushing, fever, insomnia, fainting, nosebleeds, heartache and

 **Nino:** An inexplicble attraction to red things

 **Adrien:** According to alya

 **Nino:** Yep

 **Adrien:** And what do u think

 **Nino:** Idk man

 **Nino:** Chloe isn my  problem

 **Nino:** If she likes some1 im not gonna interfere

 **Adrien:** But wut if she nvr sees him again?!?!?!

 **Nino:** …

 **Nino:** Y do u care?

 **Nino:** We dont even no if she actually likes him

 **Nino:** And bsides

 **Nino:** The odds of him liking her back

 **Adrien:** I askd him

 **Adrien:** He acquaintance-zoned her

 **Nino:** …

 **Nino:** At least that an improvement

 **Adrien:** ???

 **Nino:** Judging by wut shes done to him and how hes felt about her 4 the last 4 yrs

 **Nino:** Im surprised he can even look at her without cursng her under his breth

 **Adrien:** …

 **Adrien:** How do you know this?

 **Nino:** B4 i was friends w/u i used to sit in the back with nath

 **Adrien:** I see

 **Nino:** But anyways

 **Nino:** Alya is gonna hit the roof when she finds out ur in on it

 **Adrien:** So she ships it too?

 **Nino:** Um, ew

 **Adrien:** Shut up

 **Nino:** No rly

 **Nino:** Just because we’re shipping you with mari

_Nino deleted the previous message._

**Nino:** You shouldnt ship someone with somene they dont like

 **Adrien:** …

 **Adrien:** Im texting alya

 

*

 

_Alya named the chat ‘_ **_Nathloe ship squad_ ** _'_

_Alya added Adrien, Marinette and Nino to the chat_

**Nino:** Srsly, you made a SHIP NAME for them?!?!?!

 **Adrien:** Yass this is what im talking about

 **Marinette:** I dunno if we should be doing this, but im trusting u alya

 **Alya:** Im telling you nino

 **Alya:** We will make this ship sail if its the last thing we do

 **Alya:** Also the otp

 **Alya:** But more urgently this

 **Adrien:** Whats the otp???

 **Alya:** Nvr u mind

 **Nino:** …

 **Marinette:** So how r we gonna do this?

 **Marinette:** We cant force them 2 confess…

 **Marinette:** None of us even knows them well enuf 2 talk 2 them

 **Adrien:** Idk, nino seems 2 no nath prty well

 **Nino:** B4, not now

 **Nino:** Bsides

 **Nino:** 4 all we know he could still be hinged on mari

 **Alya:** No

 **Alya:** Hes not

 **Marinette:** I dont think he is

 **Adrien:** Theyre right

 **Nino:** Kk fine

 **Nino:** But chloes still obsessed with adrien

 **Nino:** That hasnt changed

 **Alya:** Wrong

 **Marinette:** Wrong

 **Adrien:** W R O N G

 **Nino:** Kk chill

 **Nino:** I just realized

 **Nino:** Alya

 **Alya:** Yah?

 **Nino:** Were literally shipping the 2 ppl who wouldve got in the way of otp with each other

 **Nino:** Isnt that kinda just forcing them?

 **Adrien:** Wait

 **Adrien:** Just

 **Adrien:** One

 **Adrien:** S e c o n d

 **Adrien:** Whos this otp

 **Marinette:** NO ONE

 **Alya:** *cough*

 **Nino:** Nothing

 **Alya:** Absolutely nothing

 **Adrien:** Mhmmm

 **Alya:** kk shut up adrien

 **Adrien:** ;(

 **Alya:** Anyways

 **Marinette:** Say can we change the name

 **Alya:** What do u mean

 **Marinette:** Idk, nathloe doesnt have a /great/ ring to it…

 **Alya:** Kk so what do we call it

 **Alya:** Im just doing the same thing with did for otp…

 **Alya:** Start of guys name and end of girls name

 **Adrien:** OMG

 **Adrien:** I think i no…

 **Nino:** Stop

 **Nino:** Im promising u

 **Nino:** 100%

 **Nino:** Whoever u think it is

 **Nino:** Stop thinking it

 **Nino:** Cuz ur wrong

 **Adrien:** :/

 **Nino:** Anyways i agree with mari

 **Nino:** Idk

 **Nino:** I just dont like it all that much…

 **Alya:** …

 **Alya:** Well

 **Alya:** Any suggestions for a better one???

 **Marinette:** Ill think on it…

 **Nino:** Yeah…

 **Adrien:** How about…

_Adrien renamed the chat ‘ **Chlonath ship squad**_ **_'_ **

****

**Marinette:** I like it

****

**Nino:** Yeah

****

**Nino:** Kind of a nicer rhythm to it 2

****

**Nino:** Chlo-nath, chlo-nath

****

**Alya:** Yeah i guess its better

****

**Alya:** Anyways

****

**Alya:** We have more important stuff 2 do than discuss ship names

****

**Marinette:** Sry

****

**Alya:** Dw

****

**Alya:** Anyway

****

**Alya:** ‘Operation Chlonath Voyage’ is now priority number 1

****

**Marinette:** OCV?

****

**Adrien:** Why not ‘Operation Chlonath Departure’?  >:D

****

**Nino:** Ocd...srsly?

****

**Adrien:** >:P

****

**Nino:** Wth even

****

**Alya:** Kk moms calling ttyl

****

**Nino:** Yeah kk i gtg2 bye

****

**Marinette:** Bye Adrien

****

**Adrien:** Byeee

****

 

****

**Who makes the first move at Operation Chlonath Voyage/Departure?**

****

**A) Alya**

****

**B) Marinette**

****

**C) Nino**

****

**D) Adrien**

****

**E) Someone else??? Idk**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my rush to write this and get it to you, I didn't proofread it so some characters and interactions may be OOC, and I apologize for that. I also hope you enjoyed this chapter and the options as much you usually would.
> 
> Thank you all so very, very much ^w^
> 
> And please let me know if I made any mistakes!


	34. OCD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Glaciator. I'm warning you in advance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally forced myself to write. Also, yes, there are spoilers, and the last bit might be hard to understand if you haven't seen episode 9 of season 2, so sorry about that.
> 
> Also, I haven't been able to reply to your comments but I assure you I am reading them. Life is heck-tic
> 
> Ughh, I don't know...

 

**Adrien:** K so i been thinking

**Alya:** Excellent

**Adrien:** And ive devised a plan for operation chloanth departure

**Alya:** Im listening

**Adrien:** *Chlonath

**Nino:** Alya stop spamming me with notifications im HERE

**Marinette:** Do tell

**Adrien:** So tomorrow and maybe the day after if we have to

**Adrien:** For reconnaissance

**Adrien:** Well study the subjects then devise strategies

**Nino:** You make it sound like a science experiment or smthg

**Alya:** Sounds perfect

**Alya:** But remember we have literaly two weeks

**Nino:** And then youll give it a rest

**Alya:** Nevahhh

**Alya:** Ill hunt them both down and force them to confess if i have to

**Adrien:** I will help you

**Marinette:** Uhh isnt that a tad forceful

**Alya:** …

**Alya:** Alls fair in love and war

**Nino:** I dont think thats exactly what thats supposed to refer to tho….

**Marinette:** Oh, well

**Marinette:** This is actually kind of exciting

**Nino:** Not you tooo!!

**Marinette:** >:D

**Adrien:** Yay we love you mari

**Alya:** :DDD

**Adrien:** I love you too alya

**Nino:** What about me?

**Adrien:** Yes you all are the best friends i could ever ask for

**Adrien:** And we will do wonderful things by uncrossing two star-crossed lovers’ souls

 

*

 

_ Private message between Alya and Nino _

**Alya:** THANKS nino

**Nino:** No problem

**Alya:** We were SO CLOSE to bringing adrienette to sail

**Alya:** I hate youuuu

**Nino:** Jeez im sorry okay

**Nino:** Adriens my bud

**Nino:** And youre the one overreacting

**Nino:** Srsly youd better back down when it comes to chloe and nath

**Nino:** After the whole obsessive adrienette tugboating i can only wonder what youll be like with them

**Nino:** And we arent even that close with them

**Nino:** Not to mention very suspicious

**Alya:** Trust me

**Alya:** I know what im doing

**Nino:** Well keep me out of it

**Alya:** ...fine

**Alya:** Be that way

**Nino:** Hows this

**Nino:** I will support you

**Nino:** But dont expect me to go pulling strings so they run into each other or something

**Alya:** Ughhh

**Alya:** Fine

 

*

 

**Marinette:** Alya???

**Alya:** Yeah im back sry i was busy

**Nino:** *cough, cough*

**Alya:** BUSY

**Marinette:** Okay…?

**Adrien:** Okay whatever i have chinese soon but anyways

**Adrien:** Think about it

**Adrien:** Well chat at school tomorrow

**Alya:** Yep

**Nino:** Sure

**Marinette:** Ill see if i come up with anything

**Adrien:** Kk bye

**Marinette:** Byeeee

**Alya:** Bye ;)

**Nino:** Goodbye

 

*

 

**ADRIEN**

 

**TUESDAY**

 

Adrien was practically bouncing in his seat all morning. He’d had the best idea in the shower this morning, and spent most of class discussing it with Alya and Marinette (Nino turned to ignoring him when he brought up the subject), and he could hardly wait to put it into action. Yesterday’s mission had not provided them with any more of a plan than they had to begin with, although it did inform them of some new aspects to consider. Among the things they noticed, discreetly spying in their phones’ front camera views, were that Chloe and Nathaniel had rather incompatible schedules. They didn’t have much contact outside of class, and after school, they went off in completely opposite directions, never to meet again until the next day. Later, Alya would report that Chloe had gone to a nearby Japanese restaurant for sushi, and Marinette told them that Nathaniel spent some time in the park, drawing as well as studying, before going home for the night, from what she could see from her balcony. However, at school, Adrien noticed that the two barely glanced at each other despite sharing a desk. Nino actually voiced this, and added that they seemed to be purposefully ignoring one another, claiming that their heads were turned too far away from each other to be coincidental. He eventually gave up on trying to convince them when Alya gleefully insisted they were in denial, which, according to her, was a giant step up from whatever it was they had a few weeks ago.

And today, Adrien was going to figure out if that was true. Sure, Chloe was pretty obviously trying to deny her feelings, but Nathaniel was a bit harder to figure out. He was so reserved and impassive, it was quite difficult to interpret his reactions as denial or plain surprise. But that wasn’t going to stop Adrien from trying. Finally, the teacher dismissed the class, and he all but jumped out of his seat and dashed to the back of the room, where Chloe was slowly packing her bag. Nathaniel had already closed his and stood up, ready to go.

“Hey, Nath,” Adrien stopped the redhead a little farther away from his love-to-be.

“Hi,” Nathaniel responded tiredly. “I hate studying.”

“Well, if you want, we can do a study group. It might help, you never know,” the blonde suggested, trying to sound casual. Nathaniel sighed.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” he shrugged.

“Great!” Adrien sounded way too cheerful for someone who had just spent forty-five minutes in a sweltering classroom, studying.  _ Studying, more like student-dying. _ “Meet me in the park. Lunch is on me!”

“Sure.” Nathaniel stifled a yawn behind his hand and left. Adrien rushed over to Chloe.

“Hey, Chloe!” he smiled brightly.

“Why are you so happy?” she asked dully.

“I don’t know, the sunshine just makes me really happy, don’t you agree? And exams are just a week away, and then it’s two whole months off before lycée!”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“What do you want?”

“How would you like to study with me and a couple other people?” he asked.

“I’d say that it depends on the identities of these ‘couple other people’.”

“Uh, it’s just me and Nino, and maybe Mari and Alya, too,” he shrugged innocently. She scrunched her eyes so there was a fine strip of eye through her eyelids.

“You’d better not be hiding any secret intentions,” she warned. “But I guess I could use some motivation to study.”

“Great!”

“Ugh, see you later, then.”

“Yes, you too!”

Adrien hastily followed Chloe out the door, then ran to Nino.

“Hey, Nino, I need a favor-”

“Nope!”

“Pleeaasseee?”

“No.”

“I’m your best friend!”

“That’s what you said to Ladybug and to Chloe. I don’t even trust you anymore when you say that.”

“This time I swear you’re the best friend I’ve ever had!”

“Yeah, sure...dude you know those puppy-dog eyes don’t work on me.”

“It was worth a try, though,” Adrien smirked.

“Whatever, fine...”

“Yay! Thanks man, I knew I could always count on you!”

“What exactly do you need me to do?”

“I swear it’s nothing big. All I need is for you to come to this study group I’m having in the park with Chloe and Nath, but you must make it look like you’re the one who dragged Nathaniel along. Can you do that?”

“Uhh...sure…? I dunno, Adrien, this seems kind of risky...” Nino scratched the back of his head.

“It’ll work, I promise. And if it doesn’t, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“Are you really the one asking me here?”

“I don’t even know. Thanks again, though!”

“Anytime...” Nino replied dryly, and Adrien ran off in Alya’s direction.

 

*

 

Chloe was already waiting for Adrien when he got to the park. The blond keeled over, panting after he’d run so he could arrive there early to plan. Unfortunately, by the time he got there, he’d already lost the advantage of time.

“Chloe!” he smiled happily. “You’re here already?”

“Yeah, I was thinking I’d just relax in the shade for some time before you came, but I guess since you are here, we might as well just start.” She sighed and reluctantly abandoned her place leaning against a tree, straightening and getting out her textbook.

“Oh, aren’t you going to eat lunch or something?” he asked.

“Meh,” was her uninterested reply. Adrien frowned; it wasn’t typical of her to be so cynical.

“You okay? You seem kind of...bored, today.”

“I barely got any sleep last night. I don’t know why, I just couldn’t seem to fall asleep.” She sighed and pulled her sunglasses over her eyes.

“Oh, that sucks. You must be really tired,” he sympathized.

“I got an iced coffee and those things are like pure caffeine and sugar, so I think I’ll be okay for some time after the stuff kicks in.” She picked up the plastic cup beside her and used the straw to swirl its contents around before taking a sip.

“Hey, Adrien,” Alya greeted from behind the blonde. She walked over to Adrien and sat down beside him, followed by Marinette.

“Hey!” Adrien responded, while Chloe muttered “hi” under her breath.

“What are you doing, Adrien?” Marinette inquired.

“Studying. I think it’s always more fun when you study with friends,” he grinned. “Oh, hi, Nathaniel.”

“Hi.” He glanced around at the small group, pausing for a moment on Chloe and raising an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything further and sat down. Chloe, meanwhile, turned to Adrien, eyes squinting at him suspiciously. He chuckled lightheartedly and quietly gulped. 

Thankfully, Nino arrived just a moment later, gasping for air and clutching his chest.

“Oh my gosh-Nath-great-you’re here-hehe-I didn’t know if you were-but oh, well...” he leaned over, using a tree trunk for support, and took some time to catch his breath. Nathaniel was clearly confused.

“Uh, hi to you, too, Nino…?” he said awkwardly. Chloe was glaring daggers at Adrien.

“What are you playing at, Adrien?” she hissed in his ear.

“Nothing!” he insisted. “Nino must’ve invited Nath to join, too.”

“But...Nino didn’t invite me...you did...” Nathaniel looked around in confusion. “What?”

“No, your memory must be lapsing, haha, it  _ was _ me who invited you, remember?” Nino laughed. “Adrien probably asked you for something else.”

“Right...” Chloe eyed Adrien suspiciously and he shrugged good-naturedly in agreement with Nino.

“Uh, okay...” Nathaniel trailed off. “So should we get studying then?”

“Hu-right! Yes, yes, of course!” Adrien flashed his most convincing smile and whipped out a textbook. “Here, why don’t you and Nino quiz each other, and I’ll review some things with Alya?” he suggested, and turned before they had a chance to make a response.

“What do we do now?” he asked Alya in an undertone.

“I don’t know, this was  _ your _ idea,” she reminded him.

“But you’re supposed to be helping! Ughhh...” Adrien internally facepalmed. “What to do, what to do...”

But he was spared from thinking up a solution because just then, a certain Italian walked up.

“Oooh, are you guys a study group? I’ve been having some trouble studying myself, mind if I join?”

Adrien glanced up at her before looking back at Alya and Marinette, a pleading look in his eyes.

“Yeah...sure, why not?” Marinette decided quickly, and both Adrien and Alya made aggressive bodily gestures to her that had absolutely no effect on her obliviousness whatsoever. They finally gave up and turned to Lila, who was watching all this with a curious expression on her face.

“Actually, I think just the six of us is enough, sorry Lila,” Adrien apologized hastily. Lila raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so...?” she asked skeptically.

“I mean, I don’t see any problem...” Nathaniel said.

“So it’s fine. I’ll stay and if it doesn’t work out, I can leave,” the brunette shrugged and sat down. 

_ Code red _ , Adrien mouthed to Alya, who glanced at him and then ignored him.

“So I found these study guides online,” Alya mentioned. “I’ll text the link to you guys-oh, would you look at the time. I should really be going now, bye!” Alya hurriedly packed her bag and jumped up with a deliberate look towards Adrien and Marinette, who caught on instantly.

“Ohh, right, Alya. I  _ totally _ forgot, hehe, uh, see you guys later!” And both girls were gone. Lila’s expression was growing more and suspicious by the minute, and Adrien prayed she wouldn’t say anything. Even Nino was now eying him unconvincedly.

“Say, why don’t I study with Nino, now, and Lila, you can go with Nathaniel,” Adrien suggested.

“And what about me?” Chloe asked annoyedly.

“Er, you can go with Lila, too!” Adrien decided.

“Whatever,” Chloe rolled her eyes and turned to the other girl. Adrien shuffled closer to the DJ.

“Now, what?” Nino asked.

“I’m thinking on the fly here, uhh, I’ll let you know when it comes to me.”

“Seriously? Dude, Chloe’s already on to you.”

“Shh, almost, but there’s still a small chance that she’ll wave this off as totally coincidental and all will be good!”

“Sure,” Nino sighed.

The group sat ‘studying’ for about ten minutes longer before Nino mentioned he was hungry, and Adrien, thinking that his friend had finally taken some initiative at last, wholeheartedly agreed. However, Lila took it as an offer, and now Nathaniel and Chloe were also on board with the idea. The redhead walked with Nino in front, followed by Chloe, who seemed to be keeping a deliberate distance between them, and then Lila hung back to talk to Adrien.

“You guys are way too obvious,” she informed him. “I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and I must admit, it is an intriguing cause.”

“Sure you do,” Adrien dismissed. Lila stopped.

“It’s only completely obvious that you four are trying to set Chloe and Nath up with each other. That’s cute and all, but you’re pretty hopeless from what I can see. You guys could use my help,” she offered.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Adrien replied. “We know what we’re doing, and we’ll make this work...somehow...”

Lila raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, really?” she asked. “Believe me, without me, you guys don’t have a chance. You only have two weeks, your ideas totally suck, and besides, Chloe’s onto pretty much all of you except me. So I’m perfect to join the ship squad.”

“Ho-how do you know there’s a ship squad?” Adrien asked.

“Please, you French people are too oblivious,” she waved off. “I figured since Alya is always at the head of a new potential romance.”

They continued walking behind the others in silence for some time before she spoke up again.

“If you want me to prove that I can help you, just watch me right now,” she told him, and sped up to Chloe. Adrien watched curiously.

“Isn’t it  _ so _ hot today?” she asked the blonde.

“Ya think?” Chloe groaned. “I just wanna take a bath in some ice cubes right now.”

“I know, right? Hey, would you look at that, an ice cream stand!” she pointed to the ice cream cart that was parked nearby today.

“Oh, I know him. That’s Andre, he makes ice cream for-” Lila discreetly kicked him in the shins, cutting him off.

“Why don’t we get some ice cream? That’ll be sure to cool us off for some time, huh?” she suggested sweetly.

“I guess,” Chloe sighed. “What do you want? I’ll pay.”

“I think you should go first,” the Italian girl smiled. “You, too, Nath, why don’t you get something as well?”

“Uh, sure, if it’s no problem...” he agreed.

“None at all,” Chloe assured him.  _ Wow, she sure is tired today. _

“Ah, welcome, all of you! I am Andre, the famous ice cream man of Paris! You have probably heard of my famous ice cream for-”

“Yes, yes, of course we’ve heard all about you. Chloe would like to order one, go ahead Chloe,” she said, pushing the blonde to the front.

“Uh, yeah, umm, what flavors do you have?” she asked.

“Flavors? Ha, the only flavors we have are the flavors of lo-”

“Yes, why don’t you make something for her?” Lila recommended innocently. Adrien could kick himself - why hadn’t he thought of ice cream?

“Hmm...let me see...” Andre surveyed his ice cream thoughtfully.

 

**I'm leaving this one up to you, what ice cream does he pick? But, of course, we need options, so:**

**A) Chloe gets suspicious and drops the idea**

**B) She gets the ice cream and goes along with it without suspicion**

**C) She's running late for afternoon classes so she has to drop the idea**

**D) She gets super suspicious when she gets the ice cream and figures it out**

**E) I don't even know, help me, please**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a really weird chapter for me, and I might rewrite it sometime later. I'm sorry if this isn't up to scratch, I had to get something out, and hey, I might even just delete this one later on and replace it since it's a lot more awkward and kinda forces spoilers in your face. Sorry about that.


	35. Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the wait. I'm also sorry that there are no options in this chapter.
> 
> I really don't have an excuse for this chapter, and I'm really sorry for the jumpy/choppiness. i just really needed to get the plot moving until I figure out a reasonable plot/ship balance.

**LILA**

 

“Wait, aren’t you that guy with the Lovers’ Ice Cream? I’ve heard about you, didn’t Mylene and Ivan come here a few weeks ago?” Nathaniel noted, most unhelpfully.

“Indeed I am!” Andre smiled encouragingly. “And who are you here with?” He gave a meaningful glance towards the Italian girl beside him.

Nathaniel flushed.

“Uh, it’s not like that! I just wanted to cool off,” he mumbled, looking away. “We’re not together or anything...”

“Don’t worry, boy,” Andre reassured him. “My ice cream never lies.” He opened his tubs and examined his flavours, determining an appropriate combination.

Adrien was suddenly aware of a pair of eyes boring into his head, and he turned to see Chloe with a glare that would send a braver man running. She narrowed her eyes.

“You know what, I, actually, uh, have to go, er, see ya!” Nathaniel finally exclaimed, and ran off, a blush starting to take over his features.

“What-no! Come back!” Adrien called to the other, but he was already out of sight.

Andre looked disappointed, but he brightened when his gaze fell upon another single teenager.

“What about you, young mademoiselle? I shall prepare you the best-”

“No, I’m fine, thank you very much,” Chloe dismissed. “We don’t need anything from you, and I, for one, thing this ‘Lovers’ Ice Cream’ is a sham. I’m out of here,” she decided, and turned on her heel, walking away.

Andre watched after her disappointedly, then turned to Lila, who was also watching the retreating blonde.

“Well, that worked out just fantastic!” he told her, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Hey, it was better than anything you managed!” Lila defended.

“In any case, why do you even want to work with us? It’s not like there’s anything in it for you...”

“What, are you saying you’re only trying to get them together for your own reasons? What kind of reasons could you even have for setting the two of _them_ up with each other? I don’t see any benefits it could mean for you,” the Italian pointed out.

“Look, Chloe is my childhood friend - I just want her to be happy. I know she likes Nath, and besides, she only just got over me.”

“And I’m one of her only friends now, so why can’t I help?”

“...you’re friends with Chloe? I didn’t realize...”

“It’s...a fairly recent establishment, but yes. So let me help you.” Lila crossed her arms across her chest.

“Well, I mean, you did just scare them off, and I’m guessing they’re onto you, now, too. So much for an advantage... _but_ , since I’m nice, I’ll let you help us. What’s your number?”

Lila gave it to him and he added her to the group chat.

“Well, I guess we’d better be getting back to school now,” she reminded. “Hey, where did Nino go?”

Adrien looked around, too. He shrugged.

“I guess we were a bit too much for him,” he commented. “He’s probably already at school. Let’s just go back together.”

“Sure,” Lila accepted, and followed him back to the school. They had barely reached the top of the steps, when Adrien froze.

“Do you smell that?” he asked suddenly.

“Smell what?” Lila asked. Adrien sniffed the air.

“Something’s burning,” he decided.

“Really, I don’t smell anything...” she said, looking around for signs of smoke. Just then, an alarm bell went off inside the building, and Adrien pulled her to the side a split second before a stampede of students rushed through the door in panic.

“There’s a fire in the locker room!” one of them shouted.

“Everyone run for your life!” another screamed.

Lila waited a few minutes to let the horde through before risking a peek inside. A thick layer of smoke was rising over the school, and sure enough, it seemed to be coming from the locker room. She popped back outside to tell Adrien, but he was gone. She turned back and saw him sprinting up the steps to the library.

“Adrien, what are you doing?!” she called after him. “You’re supposed to be running _away_ from the school, not putting yourself in danger!” But he ignored her.

“Marinette!” he yelled, crashing through the door to the library. Lila sighed and ran back outside. If Adrien was going to put himself in danger, there was no use waiting for him and risking her own safety. She leapt down the steps and ran for the bridge.

“Need some help?”

Lila looked up to see Paon Royale perched on his hoverboard a few meters away.

“The other students are in the park while they wait. Shouldn’t you be with them?” he asked.

“Actually, I was going to go home,” she replied. “No real point of staying at school since they’ll probably take the rest of the afternoon dealing with the fire.”

“In that case, I can give you a ride, if you want,” he offered. “You don’t live very close by, do you? And the next bus isn’t due here for a few hours.”

“Why don’t you leave her and go help the remaining students escape instead of flirting with civilians?” someone suggested, and Queen Bee appeared a moment later.

“Why, hello, there, your Highness,” Paon greeted easily, smiling. “And for the record, I was not _flirting_. I was merely offering this fair maiden my assistance in finding her way home.”

“Yeah, well, in any case, your presence is required at the school. Some smartass decided arson was the best way to get back at the teachers and skip exams or something like that. Don’t know why they aimed for the locker room instead of the teachers’ lounge, but details. Now come _on_ ,” she beckoned, and he sighed, following her back to the school.

Lila rolled her eyes after them. This superhero banter was getting old. She didn’t see why they couldn’t just get together already, and spare the general population of Paris the exasperation of their sheer obliviousness. But she wasn’t going to waste a free day off of school. The brunette whipped out her phone and sent a message to the police lieutenant’s daughter to meet her at the mall.

***

The next week and a half were tragically unproductive. Both subjects of the operation had unfortunately caught onto the plan, and neither of them seemed particularly happy about it. Chloe started avoiding Adrien and Lila, and Nathaniel made a point not to let a conversation with any member of the ship squad go on long enough to subtly raise the topic. Final exams came and went, and by the first week of summer vacation, Lila finally admitted defeat and set her focus onto the transition back to Italy this August. Alya and Adrien seemed disappointed, but aware of her circumstances, let it slide by. The blogger did, however, promise to keep her updated if any progress was achieved during the break, although the chances at this point were closer to impossible than unlikely.

Although Chloe now steered clear of Marinette, and, by extension, Alya, she gave Adrien a stern warning and threatened to break their friendship if he continued to hassle her. He backed off after that, but he’d be damned if he gave up then. No, he realized that he must be subtle, very subtle, from now on. Better only work under masks to stay on the safe side. Chloe was his first friend, the first one to truly know him, and he valued her friendship a lot. He also wanted her to be happy, as any good friend should. So he decided that it was his responsibility, as Chloe’s friend, to ship her with someone who was unyielding enough to deal with her slightly overbearing personality, but calm enough to complement her boldness. Of course, she should also like him, too. That person was Nathaniel. Adrien was sure of it.

Alya wasn’t one to give up. She hadn’t given up on Marinette (look where that went, thanks to her help), and she sure as hell wasn’t about to give up now. Adrien informed her about Chloe’s rage, advising her to take her actions down a notch, so she complied. Since the blonde was actively escaping her presence, she took to stalking her discreetly and very carefully attempting to push the two together ever-so-slightly. It was difficult, but some well-planned operations and a few fortuitous strokes of luck resulted in Chloe coming into possession of Nathaniel’s sketchbook (which contained a few rather flattering depictions of the wrong blonde), which he recovered with a horrified embarrassment and stammered apology, and Nathaniel somehow returning home from an afternoon of commissions with Alya’s bag instead of his own (in her defense, they were identical, and how was she supposed to know which one was his?). Marinette’s compulsive kleptomaniac tendencies may have also had something to do with that.

Speaking of Marinette, her initially reluctant role as a shipper-on-board had bloomed into a hardcore supporter of the SS Chlonath. It was the least she could do, now that she was eternally in Alya’s debt. Somewhere in between realizing the potential of the two becoming a couple, and the fact that Alya had landed her and Adrien on an actual date the night after exams. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the details quite yet, and she wasn’t 100% sure that this meant that she and Adrien were officially a thing, but from what her now-former classmates’ overwhelming compliments in the subsequent days, and what her subconscious mind could piece together, she had finally achieved outlet from the friendzone. So, of course, in her lovestruck frenzy, she was now enthusiastically engaging in any action that would bring this ship any closer to sailing.

Nino, poor Nino, was caught up somewhere in the middle of it all. Theoretically, he was no longer being forced to help Chloe and Nathaniel get together, since he’d more than done his part in getting Adrien to discover and express his feelings. He may have been a tad harsh in venting his exasperation to the model, but after all was said and done, Adrien had a girlfriend and Alya basically owed him for life. So he would be taking a backseat in the tugboating of the sailing of the ship, since there was no way his girlfriend would ever let him jump off aboard. Nathaniel seemed to be fine with his company, though. He made sure to keep their interactions away from the topic of relationships and redeemed blonde bombshells, but otherwise, he listened to Nino’s excited chatter about music technology and the workshop he was going to attend next month. Although Alya would have rathered he use these circumstances to his advantage, she knew better than to ask him outright after what happened with Adrienette.

Essentially, the ship squad was on break until further notice.

So was Hawk Moth, apparently.

There wasn’t a single akuma since school ended, and although none of the superheroes were complaining, it did feel just the slightest bit off, however.

Chat Noir was no longer anticipating the next attack to see his Lady - Nino had already opened his eyes to the truth that it was pointless pining after someone from whom it was unrealistic to expect to return his affections.

Ladybug wasn’t terribly concerned about her partner, given that at the moment, her alter ego had only one thing her mind and it had nothing to do with masks.

Rena Rouge and Carapace were just happy for their civilian egos’ best friends (and they may or may not have already revealed their identities to one another).

Queen Bee kind of missed the thrill of vigilantism.

Paon Royale was a bit reluctant for the next time the gang of superheroes got together. Especially because that would mean facing a certain bee-themed superheroine.

Nathaniel was never going to reveal that he secretly sought out Andre’s famous ice cream stand after Queen Bee monopolized his dreams post-school arson.

And he definitely wasn’t going to reveal that the specific combination and order of flavors he received were saturated with resemblance to Queen Bee.

No, the longer he had to figure out what it meant for himself, the better.

On the other hand, Jean-Claude had to find a new cold, sweet dessert, now that ice cream had beat pizza to the #1 spot on the list of Chloe’s Most Hated Foods.

***

The civilian egos of Paris’ superheroes stayed in the city during the holidays. Perhaps it was the looming threat of another akuma that convinced them it was better to stay where they were for the time being.

***

It was now nearing the second anniversary of the death of Emilie Agreste and the Agreste mansion seemed lonelier and quieter than ever before. Adrien’s bodyguard had finally earned his entitlement to a retirement and was dismissed with a sizeable pension to last him the remainder of his lifetime in comfortable luxury. Adrien spent most of his time nowadays on the company of his girlfriend, and Gabriel was left to ponder in isolation the opportunity of the relationship that he had missed and was now facing the aftereffects of. The house was silent, and apart from Nathalie, who rarely supplied any respite from the soundlessness, the fashion designer find himself in solitude. Two weeks into July, he decided he’d had enough.

***

“Hey, what do you guys think happened to Hawk Moth?” Carapace asked one night. The group had coincidentally decided to patrol on the same night, and given the lack of anything new to be watching, they took the time to converse.

“Good question, does anyone know what that supervillain’s been up to lately?” Queen Bee agreed. “I mean, it's nice thinking that ole’ Hawky’s given up after seeing us in action, but i was kinda hoping we’d formally defeat him and get his miraculous and put him in jail, you know, the usual stuff that happens in superhero movies.”

“Well, I mean, not _every_ superhero movie ends with them actually catching the villain,” Rena pointed out. “Sometimes they quietly give up, or step back and hide until there's someone different to fight them. Right, Birdy?”

“Huh?” Paon jumped up, alerted out of some fantasy, before looking at his teammates’ expectant faces (avoiding Queen Bee’s) and flushing.

“Oh, yeah, sometimes they don't, but what kind of superhero movie would it be if good didn't win out in the end?”

“A less cliche one, probably,” Queen Bee yawned. “Damn, the lack of akumas has me really slacking off lately. Even if there was an attack, I'm so out of shape I'd probably end up being completely useless.”

“That's not true,” Paon mumbled under his breath, turning away.

“So, how has summer been treating you all?” Chat changed the topic.

“Absolutely fantastic,” Ladybug sighed dreamily, before shaking herself back to reality. “I mean, summer’s been going really well, it is vacation after all,” she chuckled lightly. “ _Hehe_ …”

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes for a moment before letting his features relax. Carapace shot him a concerned look.

“Hey, Bastille Day’s coming up in a couple days, do you guys wanna maybe do something for that?” Chat suggested.

“Why not?” Paon shrugged. “What did you have in mind?”

“I dunno, maybe have our own little picnic, watching fireworks together or something?”

“I'm already watching the fireworks with someone,” Ladybug mentioned. “But maybe we could hang out a bit before that,” she offered.

“Who are you watching the fireworks with?” Chat asked suddenly. Ladybug looked startled for a moment.

“Oh, uh, just someone. Why do you care?” she responded.

“No reason,” the black-suited hero muttered.

“Hey, Chat, you okay?” Ladybug asked worriedly.

“I'm fine,” he assured her brusquely. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I really have to go.”

He leapt up, extended his baton, and vaulted himself to a rooftop a few blocks away, all in one motion, leaving a stunned Ladybug and four concerned teammates staring after him.

“What was that all about?” Queen Bee asked. Rena merely shrugged, while Carapace had taken off after Chat.

“I don't know. I should probably get going too, though,” Ladybug decided reluctantly.

“Yeah, sure.”

And the rooftop was vacant once more.

***

The next morning, Nathaniel woke up to a message from Gabriel Agreste, demanding an urgent meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not using the majority choices from last chapter. I just felt like slow burn so y'all can suffer another chapter.
> 
> honestly, school has been stressful and I've been leaving in motivation big-time. i also rewrote this chapter about four times before i gave up.
> 
> I'm sorry if you hated this chapter, if your want to unsubscribe and forget this story, i won't stop you, but i can assure you that by the time i have the next chapter written out and published, it will contain options and the plot should definitely get moving.


	36. Rushing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE
> 
> An unfortunate run-in at a certain bakery leaves the shippers begging for faster burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack, I'm really tired so I'm not going to bother with beginning and end notes this time, but I want all my faithful readers to know that a), I don't do April Fool's (although, no joke, this day is coincidentally the anniversary of my joining of the fandom. I shit you not. I swear. Happy anniversary to me!) and b), ahhhh your comments were so kind and uplifting and motivating and agh i don't know what i did to deserve you but it must have been out of this world because you guys ROCK! Thank you all so much!
> 
> warning: chapter is not proofread so beware of weird stuff and plz point out any mistakes.
> 
> oh, and options this time!

**NATHANIEL**

 

Nathaniel frowned at the message, squinting at the screen at this early hour. He glanced at the clock. _11:45_. Okay, not that early, but still. It was summer vacation and he deserved to sleep, but if his boss was summoning him with a message that blunt, he had better go and see what it was.

The redhead yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before sitting up and kicking off the sheets. Duusu stirred, opening one eye to see if her holder had awakened at last, then got up too, stretching before zooming up in the air to greet him.

“You woke up at a relatively early time for once,” she noted cheerily as he brushed his messy bedhead (although the brush did nothing to alleviate them falling back in front of his eyes).

“What do you mean?” Nathaniel asked her distractedly. The kwami rolled her eyes.

“This is the first time this month that you woke up before noon. On your own,” she pointed out.

“Well, I’m sorry that I’ve been trying to catch up on all the sleep I missed this year because of school. I would’ve kept sleeping if Mr. Agreste didn’t text me _demanding_ me to come over.” He sighed as his bangs fell back in front of his eyes yet again.

“It’s useless,” Duusu told him. “Why don’t you cut it already? You’re starting _lycée_ soon, I thought you’d be over your emo phase by now.” She glanced over at the MCR and Panic! at the Disco gracing the entire expanse of the door behind them. “Or not,” she shrugged.

“I don’t want a haircut. I _like_ my hair how it is, it’s just that it’s summertime and it’s sweltering hot and I can’t _see_ ,” he complained to the mirror.

“Then it’s time to invest in some hair clips,” she advised him.

“I keep losing them,” he muttered. “Oh, forget it,” he gave up finally, abandoning the bathroom and slinging his bag over his shoulder. He grabbed his phone and trudged downstairs to see what it was that Gabriel Agreste wanted him so badly for at this time.

“Nathaniel, you’re awake?” his mother stopped him halfway through the door. He froze, turning.

“Oh, hi, Mom,” he smiled innocently. “I didn’t see you there.”

“I’m glad you woke up at a reasonable time for once,” she commented. “At least eat breakfast before you leave. Where are you going anyways?”

“Oh, uh, see, I actually wanted to go to the park for some, uh, fresh air, and, um...inspiration…?” he shrugged, leaning casually against the door.

Mrs. Kurtzberg raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further.

“Well, you shouldn’t leave without eating something. You’re a growing boy, Nathaniel, I shouldn’t be having to chase after you, making sure you take care of yourself.”

“Sorry, Mom, I’ll try to be more responsible. I’ll, uh, grab something at the bakery, kay?” he made to push open the door and leave. She sighed.

“Well, make sure you’re back soon. Just because it’s summer vacation doesn’t mean you’re going to get away with that _war zone_ in your bedroom,” she warned.

“Will do!” he called back after her, pushing the door closed behind him. He sighed in relief, and Duusu popped out of his flannel.

“For a second there, I was scared she wouldn’t let me leave the house,” he said aloud.

“Well, you got lucky. She has a point, though, you should probably eat something before you go to the mansion. You never know, he might make you do another one of those exercises.”

“Good point,” he agreed, shuddering at the memory.

***

The door to the bakery jingled as he pushed it open, the aroma of baked goods wafting through the air. Sunlight flooded in through large windows, and a young girl sat on a stool at the counter coloring something with crayons. Marinette was leaned over the counter watching her but looked up when she heard the door open.

“Morning, Marinette,” he smiled at her, walking to the counter to decide what to buy.

“Hey, Nath. It’s been a while, huh?” she responded.

“It has. How are things with Adrien? I heard you two got together near the beginning of the holidays.”

“Oh, yeah, things are great,” she smiled cheerfully. “I’m still kind of in shock about it, I mean who would’ve thought that a year of pining would actually end up being useful, after all, hehe,” she chuckled, then froze, realizing what she’d just said. She clamped a hand over her mouth and Manon looked up in confusion.

“Did I really just say that?” Marinette mumbled in embarrassment.

“Hey, it’s fine. You were pretty obvious, anyways,” he assured her.

“Was I really?” she asked softly, looking down.

“Oh, no, sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way,” he told her quickly. “I mean, I’m pretty sure it was just me, but after I got over my crush on you, I figured it was Adrien you were after,” he explained.

“Oh, okay, I see,” she said. “Anyways, what brings you here?”

“I just thought I’d get something for breakfast from here for a change,” he told her, examining today’s selection. “I’ll just take a croissant and some of those….coffee cookies…?” he pointed to the tray of unfamiliar pastries, and Marinette nodded.

The redhead looked around the bakery for some time, noticing the distinct color scheme of a number of the goods today. Every cupcake and tart was adorned with a miniature flag, and the cakes were mostly decorated in red, white and blue stripes.

“Mostly everything’s decorated for Bastille Day,” Marinette informed him, noticing his stare. “Manon’s helping me with some of the flags,” she gestured to the girl who was sitting there, intently coloring the blank slips of paper and gluing them to toothpicks. “Her mom asked me to watch over her for the day,” she explained.

“You have very nice coloring skills, Manon,” Nathaniel said to the girl, noting the fact that she could actually color in neat lines, unlike some other elementary artwork he had unfortunate memories of.

Manon looked up and glared at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she retorted. “I’m six years old, obviously I should be able to color good by now.”

“Color _well_ ,” Nathaniel muttered to himself, looking deliberately away from the rude child.

“Don’t mind her,” the blunette waved it off. “She’s a real handful to deal with, but I have my ways.”

“Do you, now?” he asked rather skeptically, glaring at Manon for a moment.

“How many cookies did you say you wanted?” she asked him, changing the topic.

“Oh, um, I’ll take two. How are they, anyways?”

“Hmm...they’re a tad unusual, but once you get over the different flavor, they’re actually pretty good. Adrien actually came up with them by accident,” she chuckled.

“Did he, now?” the redhead asked, face impassive while he was deep in thought for a second. “In that case, I’ll take four.”

“Sure thing,” the aspiring fashion designer shrugged, adding two to the paper bag. She then went to the cash register and pushed in a few numbers.

“That’ll be-”

“Hey, Marinette, this batch of macarons is ready-” Chloe Bourgeois appeared from inside the bakery kitchen, balancing a teetering tray of pastries on each oven-mitted hand. She stepped carefully, trying her best to keep all the macarons on the trays. That was until she caught sight of the latest customer and promptly lost her balance.

“Waahhh!” she yelled out, the trays flying as she ungracefully lunged forward and tripped on air.

Nathaniel automatically grabbed for one of the trays before they landed her a concussion, and tossed it to the counter just before he was tackled by the blonde daughter of Paris’ mayor.

“Sorry about that, I probably should have taken them one at a-” Chloe looked up and found herself staring into turquoise eyes that mirrored hers in that both were now wide with shock (or, in, Nathaniel’s case, Chloe assumed that the left side of his face was indeed consistent with the right).

“Uh...Chloe…? What are you doing here…?” Nathaniel asked awkwardly, trying to sit up. With Chloe straddling him, though, it was easier said than done.

Chloe was staring at him with wide, horrified eyes. Nathaniel considered poking her to see if she was still responsive, but she seemed to collect herself and propel herself into a sitting position remarkably quickly.She flushed, hands still gripping his flannel with no sign of letting go anytime soon.

“Uh, Chloe….could you get off of me, please?” the redhead asked anxiously, struggling to wiggle out from under her. She complied instantly, jumping up as if magnetically repelled, and stood up, ignoring him.

“Marinette _Dupain-Cheng_ ,” she seethed. “ _Care to explain?_ ” Her tone was low and intensely threatening, and even Manon turned around in wonder to see what was going on.

“Chloe, it’s not what you think it is, I swear-”

“YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE DONE WITH THIS WHOLE SET-UP THING AND I ACTUALLY BELIEVED YOU!” Chloe shouted at her, all previous friendliness gone. “I’M NOT TAKING THIS ANYMORE!” she decided, throwing off her apron. “You and me are DONE. FOREVER!!!”

And with a petty stomp on the apron, she left, slamming the door behind, without even going back to the kitchen to get her things.

Manon stared at the door.

“Marinette, who was that and why was she so mad?” the girl asked with a surprisingly innocent tone.

Marinette sighed, shaking her head. She rolled the top of the paper bag down and held it out to Nathaniel.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized. “I honestly didn’t mean for that to happen… Anyways, it’s probably best you get going to wherever you were going after this,” she said.

“But I haven’t paid yet-” he reminded, pulling out his wallet before she stopped him.

“Forget it,” she said. “This one’s on the house. I owe it to you after that incident.”

“Really?” Nathaniel asked uncertainly.

“Definitely,” she promised, pushing him out the door. “Bye!”

Once he was gone out of sight, the baker’s daughter leaned against the door and let out a breath. Alya popped her head out of the bakery kitchen.

“Wow, what an iceberg,” she remarked, glancing out the door.

“Iceberg?” Manon asked confusedly.

“Nevermind that,” Marinette interjected. “I think it’s probably better if we just leave them to themselves for now,” she decided.

“But we were so close!” Adrien objected, appearing from the kitchen as well. “My cookies could become legendary for bringing couples together!”

“I don’t think this is about your cookies, Adrien,” Alya informed him dryly, and he wilted.

“Yeah, well, at least we tried,” he mentioned hopefully.

“Yeah, _at least_.”

***

Nathaniel finally skidded to a stop in front of the Agreste mansion, bending over to catch his breath. With one hand he slammed the doorbell and a moment later, the gates opened to allow him entry.

Gabriel stood atop the staircase, face impassive as ever.

“You're late,” he noted coolly.

“Sorry, sir, I was sleeping, see, so it took me some time to get here-”

“I didn't ask for an excuse,” the man stopped him. “Come, now.” He beckoned the redhead to follow him upstairs to the study.

“Take a seat,” Gabriel directed, and Nathaniel sat himself down opposite the other.

“Now, then,” the fashion designer began. “I believe it has come to your attention that there has been a slump in the akumas you have been facing as of late.”

Nathaniel nodded.

“I do hope you have been keeping up with your daily exercises notwithstanding,” he said. “In any case, have you and the other superheroes been in contact since the last fight?”

“Oh, yeah, just last night, actually…” the teen replied.

“I see,” Gabriel responded pensively, then looked up.

“Today I summoned you for an _urgent_ meeting, and I do hope you tear it as such, because next time, those words should not be taken lightly,” Gabriel warned. Nathaniel gulped.

“I'm really sorry about that, sir, I just-”

“I'll let you off today. However, next time I expect precise punctuality, which means you will have to rearrange your schedule on your own time. In the next few weeks, I will need you to be able to make it here on my spontaneous request. You should be able to drop anything you are doing at the moment and arrive here within the moment.”

Nathaniel gaped at him in shock.

“But sir, I can't be available to serve you at your every whim, I have a life outside, you know!” he objected.

“Remember, I am your boss, and I should have the authority to expect you to be available at any and all times,” the man said smoothly. “The reason I asked you to come today was to discuss this very topic. See, these last few weeks have given me enough to suspect that someone is targeting me, it at least, that I will not be safe on my own in these coming weeks. Your job is not only to serve the city, but also to serve me as your boss. Therefore, you will act as a bodyguard of sorts, being present in case anything happens to me. This is what you have been training for all this time, no?”

Nathaniel opened and closed his mouth several times.

“Sir, with all due respect, it's unrealistic to expect me to just come over here in a couple seconds when you need me. Isn't there any other way-”

“I'm afraid not,” Gabriel coldly cut him off again. “If you cannot fulfill your mission, I suppose I made a mistake in choosing you. Either accept the task at hand, or else surrender your miraculous.”

**What does Nathaniel do?**

**A) Take some time to think**

**B) Accept the task**

**C) Decline but put up a fight before surrendering his supersona**

**D) Give in and give up his miraculous**

**E) Uhh, I was half-asleep writing this, so, uh, help?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one last thing, please follow my writing blog on tumblr @writing-from-the-void
> 
> thank you for reading! you guys are da real MVP :DDDD


	37. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yes, it's been forever. but hey, faster burn!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is much longer than I'd expected (not the reason for the title, but fitting, no?) but i just kept writing until i could find an appropriate place to involve options. ehh
> 
> yeah it's been a while but I been busy...
> 
> also, season 2! holla, Nathaniel exists! *or does he?* but he had a line!!! A LINE!!!
> 
> in any case, here's chapter.

**NATHANIEL**

“Sir, I’m asking you one last time to  _ please _ reconsider,” Nathaniel pleaded. “I can’t just give up my miraculous!”

“You have no other choice. You are either leaving this mansion with a job or empty-handed,” Gabriel settled with finality.

Nathaniel stared for a few moments in shock.

“So?” the man prompted after what felt like forever, hand open in expectation.

“Fine.”

“Sorry?”

“I’ll keep my miraculous,” the redhead clarified. “And in return, I am ready to serve you at any given time.”

“Good,” Gabriel approved. “Now that that’s out of the way, I thought we might go over some things. Have you met with the team recently?”

“Just last night, actually,” Nathaniel replied, slouching dejectedly in his seat. “Not much to talk about, though. Hawk Moth must be on vacation.”

“Indeed...Any major advancements since the last time we met?”

Nathaniel shook his head glumly. Gabriel sighed.

“I must say, your generation is rather entitled. You are exaggerating quite a bit; it really isn’t as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be, you know?”

Nathaniel looked up and glared.

“Or you could just brood in your own pessimistic negativity, I suppose,” Gabriel shrugged. “Surely there must be something that slants your thoughts in a more positive direction...” he frowned.

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.

“Permission to keep my miraculous with no strings attached might be a nice place to start,” he muttered.

Gabriel shook his head.

“This again,” he sighed. “Look, boy, this is  _ really _ not as horribly devastating as you are suggesting.”

“Right, because essentially monopolizing my time for an indefinite period is something I should be able to accept without question.”

“My, my, someone’s growing audacious,” Gabriel noted. “This sarcastic streak appears to be a rather recent development, no? Perhaps the notion that you possess a miraculous is getting to your head and holding you under the impression that you are above your place.”

“Now you’re just looking for excuses to take my miraculous away. I thought you  _ wanted _ my help,” Nathaniel snapped.

“Don’t get me wrong, I am not terminating our contract. Although, it would help to appropriate your perspective to realize that ‘your’ miraculous is really only a privilege that comes with a contract that is slimming by the day. I would dare go as far as to suggest that you no longer trust me.” Gabriel’s voice was edgy, and Nathaniel straightened instantly with the realization that he was treading on thin ice.

“What do you mean?” the teen asked, careful not to sound too suspicious.

Gabriel leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, peering into Nathaniel’s.

“Answer honestly: do you really, truly, without even a shadow of a doubt, trust every word that I have said to you?” he asked in a low voice.

Nathaniel stared back with wide eyes, not daring to blink or break eye contact. Gabriel’s gaze was piercing, and, not for the first time, the artist felt very much like he was being interrogated.

“Yes,” he breathed softly in response, words catching slightly in his throat. He coughed to clear it, but Gabriel didn’t move, eyes narrowing yet.

“ _ Honestly _ ,” he reminded.

“Y-yes,” Nathaniel repeated quickly.

Gabriel frowned.

“You don’t trust me, do you,” he decided, releasing Nathaniel’s shoulders and leaning back, all while surveying the teen with a critical eye. Nathaniel took this chance to rapidly blink the dryness out of his eyes.

“Why? What must I do to convince you to trust me?” the man asked quietly.

“Er, well, it’s not that I  _ don’t _ trust you, but you’re so mysterious and cryptic all the time...and you never tell me anything, so, I guess, uh...yeah..?” Nathaniel shrugged in explanation.

“Tell me, Nathaniel, do you think I am hiding information from you?” Gabriel asked suddenly.

“Well, I, uh, I don’t know, sir...” Nathaniel replied, taken aback. When his boss didn’t relax his stare, he swallowed.

“ _ Yes…? _ ” he whispered softly enough that Gabriel might not have heard him.

“I see,” the fashion designer remarked. “And yet, here we are, all information open to you, every answer available, begging for question. But you do like to assume things, don’t you?” he asked accusingly. “Have you ever once asked me a question to which I denied you an answer?”

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but Nathaniel held back at the last moment in realization. There must have been at least one time that Gabriel hadn’t given him a straight answer, he was certain of it, but for the strangest reason, the occurrence itself wouldn’t surface in his mind. Of course, Gabriel wouldn’t accept a response without proof.  _ Why can’t I remember? _

Gabriel nodded knowingly, propping his chin up on intertwined fingers.

“I thought so. And yet, you still have your doubts about me. Tell me, is there any one thing I can do for you to erase all doubts from your mind completely? This is a fragile relationship, yours and mine, and even the faintest trace of suspicion could very well render it worthless.  _ What will it take before you can trust me? _ ” he asked urgently.

Nathaniel looked away, deep in thought.

“I...want you to show me...the contract I signed,” he finally decided. “I want to read the entire thing, every last word, and then I’ll see.”

Gabriel looked momentarily taken aback but adjusted quickly.

“Very well,” he allowed, reaching under the desktop. “Here you are. Take your time,” he assured, handing the teen a folder.

Nathaniel took some time to analyze the document. His signatures were there, intact as if he had written them just yesterday. Even the ink streak when Gabriel had surprised him, the same jagged line across the page. And yet, something seemed very definitely off, but Nathaniel still couldn’t place what it was. He sighed, closing the folder and handing it back in defeat.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I was wrong to assume that you were hiding something. I really don’t deserve to have a miraculous unless I can accept the responsibilities that come with it.”

“I’m glad you finally came to your senses,” the man said. “I hope that, in time, you will feel sufficiently confident in me to be able to open up and trust me with anything that may be on your mind.”

The redhead stiffened under his intense gaze, silently willing his mind to stop thinking for fear it might show on his face. After all, it felt very much like Gabriel was invading his mind with that stare already, sensing every one of his thoughts. Or maybe he was just paranoid. It was hard to tell inside this mansion.

Then the man’s expression suddenly shifted and his face broke into a cheery smile. This did nothing to help Nathaniel’s nerves and his subconscious was already preparing for a fight-or-flight scenario. The artist sincerely wished his boss would stop grinning so sinisterly.

“Now, why don’t you give me a brief recap of your summer holidays so far?” Gabriel asked as if they were just old friends, catching up on one another.

“I...uh...” Nathaniel started, before realizing how unnerved he sounded.  _ Better play along and act like everything’s normal, _ he reminded himself. “Pretty lax,” he shrugged.

“Hmm...define  _ lax _ ,” Gabriel prompted.

“Well, there haven’t been any akumas, so I’ve just been sleeping in, reading comics, drawing, the usual.”

“Any projects you’ve been working on?”

“Uh, no, not really.”

“I see,” he replied thoughtfully. “Anything on your mind in particular?”

“Well, apart from  _ lycée _ and akumas, nothing much.” Nathaniel was starting to feel himself relax. These questions weren’t as intrusive as he’d expected, but then again, you never knew what to expect with this guy.

“And what about your fellow vigilantes?” Gabriel asked. “You said you met just last night.”

“We did. I didn’t really get to ask each of them individually, but they seemed fine. Ladybug and Chat were kinda weird, though...” he paused, frowning. It was pretty obvious why Ladybug was so distracted, but he couldn’t remember now,  _ did Gabriel know that Ladybug was Marinette. What about Chat? Did he know that his own son was secretly moonlighting as a superhero?  _ Nathaniel’s mind buzzed with questions, and he hadn’t realized he’d gone silent until Gabriel cleared his throat.

“You were saying?”

“Right, yeah, umm...Chat was really moody for some reason, Carapace probably knew because he went after him when he left last night. Rena seemed happy, and Queen Bee, uh...” he unconsciously turned away, voice diminishing to a mumble.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“I, er, she seemed fine, too,” Nathaniel finished quickly.

“And your hesitation?” the man inquired.

“No reason,” he responded.

“Really?”

“Can we please just change the topic?” Nathaniel asked.

“Oh?” Gabriel sounded surprised. He shrugged. “Alright, well, if that’s all...you are free to go.”

“Thank you, sir,” the teen said, snatching up his bag and all but running out the door.

Gabriel watched him leave, getting up and peering through the window as a figure with flaming hair made his getaway.

“Interesting...” he murmured to himself. “How very interesting, indeed...”

***

“Who the hell does she think she is?! In fact, who the hell does  _ he _ think he is?!?!?! Showing up at the bakery on the same morning Maritrash invited me to help her out. That was  _ totally _ a setup! How did I not see that coming from a mile away?!”

Pollen found it wiser to keep quiet as a fuming Chloe slammed open the door and threw herself onto the sofa.

“Why does everyone want to use me?” she asked to no one in particular. “Why can’t anyone just be honest and tell me exactly what they want?” Her face was burning with both rage and humiliation, and Pollen sighed, floating over to her and giving her a kwami hug.

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” she consoled gently.

“And on top of that, I  _ fell on him! _ Do you have any idea how  _ embarrassing _ that is?! And he had to ask me to get off of him because I wouldn’t move. He probably thinks I’m a totally perverted weirdo who’s obsessed with him,” she sighed. “Which I most definitely  _ am not. _ I don’t care about those stupid pretty eyes the color of the sea, or that stupid pretty face, or his  _ stupid  _ hair that would look so much better if he actually  _ cut _ it for once -  _ ughhhhhhhhh _ !” she grumbled in frustration, flipping herself over. “Why did I have to fall for  _ him, _ of all people?!”

“Well at least you admit it,” Pollen noted, mildly surprised. “That’s a lot of progress.”

“Yeah, well I’m not  _ dumb, _ ” Chloe emphasized. “It just took me some time to  _ accept _ that the Powers That Be  _ hate _ me and will do anything to make my life as totally crappy as possible.”

“Come on, Chloe, he’s not  _ that _ bad,” the kwami reasoned. “Even you admit that he’s relatively good-looking.”

“Still a dork,” she sniffed. “And have you  _ seen _ his room? Even  _ Adrien _ isn’t  _ that _ big of a nerd.”

“So you have a thing for nerdy dorks, just accept it, Chloe. I don’t see why you’re so fussy, it’s not like you actually have a criteria for your ideal boyfriend, you’re just being unreasonably picky and stubborn.”

“For your information, I  _ do _ have a type, and I’ll assure you that he most definitely does not qualify.”

“Really?” Pollen asked skeptically. “And what is that?”

“Well, for one, he should have class and be self-sufficient, and don’t even try to convince me that scrawny artist has enough money to take  _ himself _ through university.”

“You’re barely in high school, Chloe,” Pollen shook her head. “You’ve got enough inheritance to cover both of you well into adulthood, and, anyways, don’t be so judgemental. Also, if it’s class we’re talking about, he’s one of the most well-mannered young men I’ve seen, and I’ve been around for more than 5000 years.”

“Your point is?”

“My point is, Chloe, sweetie, that you should be more open to the motions and not so inclined to resist. You’ve got a nice guy in your lane, one who might even be potential boyfriend material, and you’re turning him down because...you’re too busy trying to figure out exactly  _ what _ you  _ are _ looking for. He’s right in front of you, so why are you still holding back?”

Chloe sighed.

“I guess...it’s just that I’m so used to things going my way. I don’t like being  _ handed _ things unless  _ I _ asked for them,” she confided. 

Pollen zoomed up, apparently delighted, and Chloe had to look up to see what she was saying.

“You’ve made so much progress!” the kwami expressed. “I can barely believe this is the same girl I met just a few months ago. Look how far you’ve come!” she said.

Chloe blinked.

“I...guess I  _ have _ made progress, haven’t I?” she admitted, smiling in spite of herself.

“Acceptance is a huge milestone,” Pollen assured her. “If that isn’t a surefire sign of redemption, I don’t know what is!”

The girl blushed, sitting up and hugging her legs to her chest.

“It feels kind of nice to get all this stuff off my chest,” Chloe confessed. “Thank you, Pollen.”

“Anytime,” the kwami promised. “So, now, what about the redhead situation?”

Chloe groaned.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It feels too early to be thinking about a boyfriend, if I’m being totally honest. I mean, I still have a long way to go, I think. I should probably go back and apologize to Marinette...”

“But what about Nathaniel?” Pollen asked.

“I...owe him an apology, too. I shouldn’t have burst out at either of them at the bakery. Hopefully, I’ll get over this whole crush thing, and even if I don’t, I think I’d rather have friends for now. Plus, he does have pretty good taste in manga...”

“Weeb,” Pollen grinned slyly.

“I prefer the term  _ otaku _ ,” she corrected, rolling her eyes.

“Fine. Now let’s go down to the bakery and get your things back,” Pollen suggested.

“Alright, then.”

***

Chloe would be forever thankful that Marinette was so understanding. It was an awkward apology, and Chloe didn’t dare let the conversation stray near her crush on the red-haired artist, but the baker’s daughter smiled and forgave her easily, informing her that she was welcome at the bakery anytime, anyways. Alya might have been disappointed but hid it well, assuring the blonde that she was always free if Chloe needed anything.

Nathaniel wasn’t home when Chloe rang their doorbell, but his mother was. Chloe told her she could come back later and that her baking was excellent, to which she seemed initially skeptical but then informed her that she was glad her son was making friends.

It turned out that Nathaniel was in the park. Chloe thought she might take a detour through there, and she found the artist under a tree, sketching idly. She took a deep breath, summoning her courage before approaching him. Not trusting herself to speak just yet, she sat down beside him, not close enough to warrant suspicion, but not far enough to make conversation awkward.

“Hi,” she spoke up after a few minutes.

“Hey,” he responded, looking up for a moment, then back down to his sketchbook.

“I, uh..sorry...about what happened at the bakery,” Chloe said simply.

“Oh...um, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Right, yeah...”

The silence was awkward but he didn’t seem to mind it. Chloe did, but she couldn’t come up with anything to say that wouldn’t make the situation even more uncomfortable.

“Hm...does this look right?” he asked suddenly, opening his sketchbook wider to show Chloe what he was referring to. Turned out he had been sketching the monuments that had been recently placed in the park. Chloe vaguely remembered her father mentioning them once.

“What am I supposed to be looking at?” she asked, taken slightly off-guard. Nathaniel didn’t usually let people see his sketchbook, and here he was, asking for her opinion on something in it.

“This,” he used the pencil tip to point at the outline of the statue commemorating Paon Royale. “I don’t know, the statue seems kind of, I don’t know,  _ off _ ...maybe Theo should have asked them to pose for him instead of using references...” He frowned.

Chloe angled her neck to look at it properly.

“Hm..I don’t really see anything strange about it. Theo’s pretty good, even if he was only using references. Why, what about it seems weird to you?” she asked.

“I dunno, it just doesn’t look like Paon to me,” he shrugged.

“Have you like not seen Paon before? That’s exactly what he looks like. I’d say his appropriation of Queen Bee was slightly inaccurate, but that’s Paon, all right,” she told him confidently.

“Really?” he asked her, startled. “No, I’d say he captured Queen Bee perfectly.”

“She looks like she’s ready to fight with someone,” Chloe said. “Too bold.”

“Um, have you not seen her in action?” Nathaniel asked, bewildered. “She  _ is _ bold. Almost brash, even, but she’s really got that fighting spirit. Paon, on the other hand, why does he look so...I don’t know...flirty?”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“What else is he supposed to look like? Yeah, he’s nice and heroic, and all, but he’s flirty and annoying to the  _ max! _ ”

“Him? Flirty?  _ Really _ ? And is he really that annoying?”

“No, duh…?” Chloe frowned. “Okay, maybe not  _ as _ annoying as  _ Chat _ , per se, but they’re both total flirts. Like that cringy, romantic pick-up lines type. Thank goodness Paon doesn’t pun as much, though. I think I’d lea-I mean  _ die _ if I had to deal with that many puns.”

“You seem rather well-acquainted with both of them...” Nathaniel said dubiously. “Where are you getting all this?”

“I, uh, nowhere...I just like to follow the akuma attacks,” she explained. “And anyways, how do you know so much about Queen Bee?”

“I...watch...the news…?” he asked.

“Yeah, but Queenie doesn’t do press, and the media’s focussed on Rena and Ladybug, anyways. You seem to be paying a lot of attention to her in specific, actually,” she realized. “What’s with all the detailing on her in your drawing.”

“Huh? Oh, uh, never mind that,” he said, snapping the sketchbook closed. “What I want to know is what makes Paon such a flirt?”

Chloe shrugged.

“He just is. Too dorky to be a playboy, but I’d say he seems pretty close.”

Nathaniel choked.

“What?!”

“Eh, just saying it like it is. Why, are you a fan? You seem pretty concerned with him in your picture, too...”

“I’m just trying to capture all six of them as well as I can,” he muttered. “Ladybug and Chat have been around forever, so I don’t need to pay attention to details as much since I already know most of them.”

“What about Rena and Carapace?”

“I...haven’t gotten to them, yet...” he replied innocently.

“Well, you asked me if it looked right. It looks fine but Queen Bee isn’t that...severe? Looks like she needs to take a chill pill or something...”

“She does  _ not _ ,” Nathaniel argued. “She’s determined and no-nonsense as sarcastic as  _ heck, _ but it’s pretty amazing, actually...” he looked back up to see Chloe watching him, unimpressed.

“So you’re a fanboy. Note taken,” she concluded.

“Excuse me-I am  _ not _ a fanboy!” he screeched.

“Really, and your room decor says otherwise?”

“Well-wait a second, how do you know about my room?” he asked in shock.

“Queen Bee and I are best friends,” she answered easily. “She tells me everything.  _ Including _ how much of a total  _ dork _ you are,” she added.

Nathaniel blinked, jaw hanging open. He closed it quickly.

“Well, if you know her so well, how could you say that the statue isn’t a near=perfect replica of what she looks like in battle?” he countered.

“Maybe because I don’t see her  _ in battle _ because akumas are  _ dangerous? _ ” she suggested sarcastically.

He stared at her for a few moments.

“You’re a lot like her, now that I think about it,” he said slowly.

“What are you implying?” Chloe snapped, praying that she hadn’t said too much and blown her secret identity.

“Nothing, it’s just...”

“Just..?” she asked anxiously.

“I can see why you two would get along so well. No wonder you’re best friends,” he finished, and Chloe resisted letting out an audible sigh of relief.  _ Thank goodness for obliviousness, _ she mentally noted as well as to inform Pollen that although she might not have a definitive  _ type _ just yet,  _ oblivious _ was certainly not in its criteria. Quite the opposite, actually, but for now, she wasn’t complaining.

“Actually, I don’t think you know either of us very well at all,” she informed him. “ _ Opposites _ attract, and we wouldn’t be as close as we are if we were so similar, don’t you think?”

“Huh?” Nathaniel asked, confused.

“Whatever, nevermind,” she said, changing the topic before he caught on. “You’re actually a pretty decent artist when it comes down to it. I’ve never actually seen your stuff before, so I hadn’t realized.”

“Oh, uh, thanks, Chloe..” he replied awkwardly. “Wait a sec, are you telling me that you didn’t go through my sketchbook when you had it?”

Chloe took a moment to recall the incident.

“Uh, no, I just assumed it was yours...” she trailed off, wondering how exactly she had managed to identify its owner.  _ Marinette, Alya...oh. Right. _

“That’s really considerate of you,” he told her, looking her dead in the eye, and Chloe froze, staring back. “I mean, not to sound awkward or anything, but I appreciate you respecting my privacy...”

Pollen’s previous words about  _ ‘good-looking’ _ and  _ ‘well-mannered’ _ came floating back to her, and she groaned inwardly. 

“It’s really no big deal,” she waved off. “I don’t know why you’re so possessive of it, anyways. It’s not like you’re hiding anything...oh, right, sorry,” she apologized.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, opening it to the page of his latest work-in-progress again. “You said that Queen Bee seemed off…”

“Yeah, she did,” Chloe confirmed.

“So...how would you change it?” he asked.

“Maybe if you used an actual reference instead of the monument, which is based on a reference itself...”

“It’s not like I could get her to pose in this exact spot, though...”

“Do you really want to get this sketch that bad?”

He frowned.

“Kind of...for...sentimental...reasons...” he said. 

She raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, like, you know, years down the line akumas probably won’t even be a thing anymore. Not that it’s a bad thing, but you know, superheroes have been part of my time at Françoise Dupont, I kinda wanna remember that...”

Chloe stared.

“Wow...” she said simply. “I mean, if it’s that important to you, I could actually maybe find Queen Bee and ask her to pose for you, if you want...”

“I wouldn’t want it to be inconvenient for her, though,” he said. “I just need another angle to look at it, from, I guess..?”

“Yeah, she really should be a lot more like  _ this _ ,” Chloe said, standing up in a bold stance, not as fierce as the statue, but still resolute as ever. Nathaniel could see, now, what Chloe had meant. This actually resembled the blonde superheroine far more than the monument.

“Wow..I, would you mind just standing like that for a couple minutes. You actually look a lot more like her...”

Chloe froze and dropped her arms quickly.

“Better yet, why don’t you get the actual thing to pose for you,” she suggested, smiling casually.

 

**What is Nathaniel’s response?**

  
**A) Why don’t you do it, you’re right here, anyways**   
**B) Oh, sure, if it’s not too inconvenient…**   
**C) If you don’t want to do it, it’s fine. I’ll find another way, I guess…**   
**D) Other suggestions?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yeah, gabriel so shady y'all are probably sick of it by now  
> and ship interaction! i've been writing more over the past little while and had a realization. I! cant! write! romance! it always ends up being so ambiguous like 'is this platonic or romantic, even?' and my outright romantic stuff suckssss so I hope that works in time for this ship to sail in this story.   
> I mean, unless you guys want platonic chlonath. which is also great. because platonic ships are amazing too  
> eh, your pick
> 
> also, shameless self-plug, but my writing tumblr is open and I am very welcome to prompts/requests, so please do not hesitate to throw them at me @writing-from-the-void
> 
> thank you all for reading and not leaving me. I know i am awful at being timely, but I hope this makes up for it!


	38. Cryptic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens
> 
> A lot of stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> majority vote (aka definite vote) chose A. so A happened. But barely. Sorry.
> 
> also thanks to 10Bendog for inspiring part of this, even though I'm sorry that I couldn't do justice to your suggestion ;(

**CHLOE**

 

“Why can't you just do it? You're here, anyways.”

“Er….”

“Unless there's a problem…?” Nathaniel asked, slightly concerned.

“No, no problem at all,” Chloe was quick to assure him. “I, uh, how do you want me?”

“No, really, if you don't want to, you don't have to feel pressured to-oh, nevermind. Uh, just how you were standing a minute ago-yeah, yeah, exactly like that, perfect, thanks,” he said, quickly starting to sketch in an outline.

Chloe stayed totally still for the next few minutes, not daring to move even a millimeter or she might risk messing up the pose.

“You can relax now,” Nathaniel answered the question she had been about to ask. “I have all I need, thanks.”

“No problem,” she responded, struggling a bit to move her stiff limbs.

Nathaniel proceeded to fix the rough sketches he had down, sharpening a line or curve or correcting details here and there. Chloe had sat back down beside him to watch him, about to say something when his phone rang suddenly. He sighed, putting his pencil down.

“Allo?” he asked, frowning slightly while he listened to the response. “Sure, be right there,” he said, although he didn't sound very happy about it, hanging up. “Sorry, I gotta go,” he told Chloe.

“Oh, yeah, sure. I'll, uh, see you around, I guess?”

He nodded, she waved goodbye, and he was off.

“How was that?” Pollen asked once the redhead had disappeared out of view.

“It was nice...I guess…” Chloe shrugged. “I'm just hoping I didn't just blow my secret identity…”

“He didn't put the pieces together, but then again, you never know just how perceptive people like him are.”

“Mm, I don't think he'll figure it out just yet, but maybe I should avoid him for the time being, just in case,” Chloe thought aloud.

“I was going to suggest the same thing. For now, at least,” Pollen agreed.

“Plus,” Chloe added, “if I ever  _ do _ end up dating him, I could put both of us in danger. I might let him figure it out for himself someday, but not anytime soon.”

***

“I got here as soon as I could, sir.” Paon Royale burst into the study on the top floor of the Agreste mansion.

“Hm, you're about forty-five seconds later than what I'd ordinarily consider acceptable, but I suppose I'll let you off given that it is your first time,” Gabriel informed him dryly.

Paon blinked.

“You're telling me…you're  _ not _ in trouble? Why'd you even call me here then?!” he protested.

“Practice,” Gabriel waved off. “You are free to go.”

Paon took a good moment to solidly glare at the fashion designer before stalking out the window and taking off sullenly.

***

Chloe was nearly dozing off against the tree when something zoomed past above her, shaking her awake. She squinted, looking up at the sky before noticing the flash of blue speeding far in the distance. Chloe jumped out.

“What's Paon doing here?” she asked aloud. “Something's got to be up, I'd better go help him.”

She made eye contact with the kwami at her side, who nodded. Chloe raced to the nearest isolated place she could find, instantly calling on her transformation.

Queen Bee emerged from a desolate alleyway a second later. She rose up and flew in the direction her teammate had been headed. The superheroine found him perched on a rooftop in another section of the city, brooding.

“Hey,” she said to get his attention. “What's up?”

“Nothing much,” he answered dully, looking up. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw you and thought there might be trouble,” she said.

“No trouble here, sorry to disappoint you,” he muttered.

“Really? Cause I could've sworn I did sense trouble, oh, right, he's sitting right in front of me.”

“Not in the mood for sarcasm right now…” he mumbled. Queen Bee sighed, closing her wings and sitting down beside him.

“What's up?” she asked again, this time more gently.

“I don't even know, I'm just feeling really irritable right now…”

“Something happen?”

“...Not  _ really _ ...I'm just overreacting, I guess…” He turned to look at her. “You know that feeling when someone asks you to do something that doesn't make a lot of sense, but they won't tell you why or give you any straight answers?” he asked.

“What, like homework?” Queen Bee rolled her eyes.

“Not really…?” he frowned, thinking. “I mean, I _ guess? _ Maybe...depends how you look at it. Like, imagine if a teacher assigned a surprise project that's due the next day, and it's worth like 50% of your mark. That's really the only way I can think of describing it…”

“Bitch teacher, if you ask me,” Queen Bee shrugged. “I'd say you have a right to be irritated.”

“Somehow it still feels like I'm overreacting…”

“Is it really that important, though?” she asked. “Whoever this person is, they don't deserve your time.”

“It is really important…” he trailed off, wondering how much to say. “This guy is kind of the person who’s letting me hold my miraculous; if I don't do what he wants, I can't be a superhero anymore…”

“Wait, so you actually have to, like, earn your miraculous? I just listen to kwami,” she said, surprised. “What kind of stuff does he have you do, exactly?”

“I'd tell you about it, but I'm like 85% convinced he's spying on me. He finds out about  _ everything,  _ somehow.”

Queen Bee eyed him warily.

“This dude sounds shady as hell,” she commented. “So he's basically in control of your secret identity? Sounds stressful.”

“Yeah, it can be. I'm essentially working for him for my miraculous.”

“And here I was thinking you did nothing but flirt with girls and fly around all the time,” she remarked.

“You thought  _ what?! _ ” he asked, glaring at her.

Queen Bee shrugged.

“Well it's not like I've seen you doing anything else, really?” she said casually. “You’re just ridiculously flashy and extra.”

“And you've got a smart mouth,” he retorted. “I do  _ not _ flirt with girls! I take my job very seriously!”

“Also, do you _ ever _ stop talking?” she asked. “Doesn't seem very serious to me.”

“You're just really mean and insult everyone. What kind of superheroine  _ are _ you?!”

“Some people need a reality check. I'm really doing you all a favor.”

“Insensitive much?!”

“Meh,” she said nonchalantly.

“Also, even if _ you _ might think I'm a flirt, you don't have to go around telling _ civilians _ that!”

She raised an eyebrow.

“1, it's called honesty, and 2, who exactly are you referring to?”

“Chloe Bourgeois claims to know you quite well,” he narrowed his eyes.

“We are rather well-acquainted,” Queen Bee confirmed. “I'm assuming you're the same way with that redhead. He seems to inform you about a lot of things, doesn't he? Well, tell him that if he knows what's right, he'd be better staying away from her.”

“Sorry?” Paon asked in disbelief. “And who are you to tell him what's in _ his _ best interests?!”

“I'm actually just passing on her own words, for your information. Now pass them onto him, will you? People like him shouldn't be meddling in with the affairs of people like her.”

“He hasn't tried to interfere in her life even once? I don't know what you're talking about, they've barely had a formal conversation, so what are  _ you _ implying?”

“Just tell him to mind his own business,” she said coolly. “In due time, he'll find it's in his own best interests.”

And with that, she lifted herself off the rooftop and flew away.

“Why won't anyone tell me anything?!” he grumbled to himself, alone once more. He sighed hopelessly, standing up and taking off in the direction of his own home.

***

**ADRIEN**

**Later**

 

“Come back here tomorrow morning, after the speech, kay?” Marinette asked her boyfriend brightly. “Then we can spend the day and then watch the fireworks together!”

“Sounds awesome, Marinette,” Adrien agreed. “See you tomorrow, Tom and Sabine!”

“You too, kid,” Tom said affectionately. “You're always welcome at the bakery.”

Adrien waved goodbye and left, closing the door gently behind him. Marinette grinned at him from the window and sent him a flying kiss, which he returned before heading back home.

“What’s with the sad face?” Plagg asked him, floating up beside him. “You should be happy that your girlfriend is so excited to spend the holiday with you! I’m pretty sure your dad wouldn’t be this interested, hmm?”

“It’s not that, Plagg, it’s just...”

“You miss Ladybug,” the tiny god finished with a knowing look. “But you get to see her tomorrow morning for the speech anyways; it’s a double bonus!”

“I don’t know...” Adrien sighed. “Marinette is awesome and I have no complaints about having her as my girlfriend, but Ladybug seems really weird these past few meetups. I wonder if she’s okay...”

“She seemed pretty okay to me last time. She was actually quite happy, so I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

Adrien looked down.

“I don’t know, either, Plagg. I just, it felt kind of weird, like she doesn’t need me as a partner anymore. Did you hear what she said, about watching the fireworks with someone else? What if she’s found someone and doesn’t want me anymore?”

“What if  _ she still valued you as her first and closest partner who she would never give up for anything? _ If you can’t ask her for yourself, just relax and enjoy your vacation. No school, no akumas, now you don’t even have to worry about your dad - your girlfriend’s family is more than happy to take you in!”

Unfortunately, as per probably the influence of the black cat miraculous, Plagg wasn’t completely right.

“You’re late,” came a clipped voice from the top of the stairs, the moment Adrien got inside.

“Sorry, Father, I was at the Dupain-Cheng’s-”

“Silence! I don’t recall asking you for an excuse.”

Adrien swallowed;  _ why did his father have to be like this at the worst of times? _

Gabriel sighed.

“Listen, Adrien,” he started, descending the stairs to come closer to his son. “I have been pondering for some time now, and I have come to a rather late realization that I have been neglecting my duties towards you as a father.”

Out of the countless possibilities Adrien had been attempting to compare in likelihood as his father’s oncoming lecture, this was most  _ definitely _ not what he had been expecting. Light Years were closer to his predictions than this would ever be.

Gabriel softened.

“I wanted to give you my apologies for abusing you, both by isolating you from myself and the rest of the world, and the psychological effects my treatment of you must have left. I deeply regret my actions, but I hope that we can both move forward from this and begin our relationship anew.”

Adrien didn’t believe what he was hearing. Who would, even? He simply stood there, dumbstruck as Gabriel’s words failed to penetrate his mind. His mind actually seemed to have stopped functioning; Adrien wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to reboot.

“So, after tomorrow, I want to spend some quality time with you as father and son, to make up for all the missed opportunities and unfortunate interactions of the past year.” He raised an eyebrow in expectation of an answer, but for once it was a humbled one, not looking down on Adrien as it had been for what seemed like forever.

“I, Father, I don’t know what to-” Adrien was on the verge of babbling in shock, voice breaking. 

Gabriel opened his arms and Adrien took a few shaky steps into them, before leaning in and letting himself be hugged. Despite the physical contact, he was still very sure that he was having a very unusual and vivid hallucination, but he could figure that out once he came to.

“Thank you,” he managed to say, tears leaking out from his eyes.

Gabriel didn’t say anything out of awkwardness, but patted him on the back, gently, repeatedly, and that filled the void of communication that words never could.

Finally, after what seemed like both forever and nothing at all at the same time, Gabriel stepped back and let Adrien take a few breaths on his own.

“It is getting quite late,” he noted. “Perhaps now is a better time to go to sleep. Tomorrow you can spend the day with your friends, then, later on, we can catch up.”

Adrien nodded and practically floated to his bedroom, the railing only partly assisting in grounding him to reality. He wasn’t sure of anything at the moment, and how he managed to get himself into bed was anyone’s guess, but before his limited remaining awareness clicked into consciousness, he was already asleep.

***

**NATHANIEL**

 

No one in Paris woke up the next day with the slightest inkling of something off. It could have been the fact that it was a special occasion, or the lack of akumas in the past period of time might have finally relaxed their nerves, but the morning of Bastille Day was easy in caution and bustling with excitement.

Of course, Nathaniel should have known that his boss would never let him off his toes, not even on a national holiday.

The morning was filled with city-wide festivities, kicked off by the military parade and the speech to the city by Ladybug and Chat Noir. XY and Jagged Stone each held their respective performances during the day, and Nathaniel had just found Alix, Rose, and Juleka (with some of their other now-former classmates) at the latter when he received the call.

“You have got to be kidding me!” he shouted into his phone, hand covering the other ear to drown out the noise of the concert.

“Do not back down on your promise now,” Gabriel threatened, and Nathaniel forced himself to break away from the group to transform.

Knowing the boisterousness of the celebrations, Nathaniel would honestly have not been surprised if something had indeed happened to the mansion, but when his alter ego got inside, the place was deserted. He ran up the stairs and threw open the door to the study.

“I do hope this isn’t another ‘practice’,” he said exasperatedly to the figure standing in the shadows.

“Oh, no, quite the opposite, really,” Gabriel’s voice came quietly, and Paon frowned.

“So...where’s the danger?” he asked, confused.

“I have been able to hold it off temporarily,” the man responded. “Sit down,” he gestured to the empty seat, and Paon did so, puzzled nevertheless.

“Release your transformation,” Gabriel commanded. “I want to speak with you as your true self.”

Nathaniel was only more confused but complied. He took the brooch off and put it in his pocket.

Gabriel did not turn to face him.

“Bastille Day, la Fête nationale, the 14th of July: different names...all referring to the commemoration of historical events that made France the nation it is today,” he spoke cryptically, almost to himself

“Yeah, we learned about it in school, but what does that have to do with anything-”

“Our history is deep, rich and prominent,” Gabriel went on as if Nathaniel had not spoken. “Wars have been fought and won, victories celebrated and losses remembered. And today is a symbol of that spirit that continues to thrive through the test of time...what a fitting day for such an event to occur...”

“I’m not following you...” Nathaniel said warily.

Gabriel finally turned around and began to pace.

“When you came into this room for the first time, you were amateur, inept, unsure of yourself. You asked me why, despite all this, I chose you to wield the Peacock Miraculous.”

“And you said...something along the lines of being able to summon confidence under a mask...” Nathaniel murmured, thinking back. “Something like I’d be able to do great things under the guise of a secret identity...”

“And I did recognize that. You have gained the trust of your fellow miraculous holders, and proven yourself their equal.”

“But?” Nathaniel recognized the conditional nature of that statement.

Gabriel sighed softly.

“You have not yet proven to me that you are worthy of my decision. I chose you on an experimental basis that I might eventually find myself able to expect certain things of you without the possibility of disappointment, and I have been questioning and reconsidering that choice more and more often, as of late.”

“You..don’t think I’m worthy...” Nathaniel said slowly. “You want to revoke my miraculous.”

“On the contrary,” Gabriel responded. “I have not deemed you  _ unworthy, _ but your true assets have not yet been revealed.”

“So what you’re saying is...” Nathaniel frowned, struggling to connect the pieces and solve the enigma that was Gabriel Agreste.

“I have been...actively seeking...some things...for a long time, now, and yet, every time I come close to very nearly attaining them, they evade my grasp, time and time again...”

“O...kay…?” 

Nathaniel wasn’t sure what this had to with anything, but he felt very much like the answer was there, just past his perception. It was almost like it was standing right in front of him - the answer to everything - but something, some kind of force was holding a veil between them so they never connected. The redhead wanted to snatch that veil away, but how did he know there was even one in the first place?

Gabriel finally stopped in front of the desk and leaned forward, looking Nathaniel dead in the eye.

“I did not empower you to make friends and become famous for protecting the city, Nathaniel.” The teen stared back at him in shock.

“I empowered you to help me seize these things I so intensely desire.”

And suddenly, every single thing that Nathaniel had ever wondered since the first day of school, last September, right up to the shady mystery he’d grown to associate with Gabriel: it all clicked into place, and he was left staring, frozen in shock, at the man who had been terrorizing this city - his home - for the past year.

“You’re Hawk Moth,” he managed to whisper.

 

**Now what?**

**A) Fight**

**B) Flight**

**C) Remain frozen in shock**

**D) Other, suggestions please?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, but you already knew it anyways
> 
> also, the story is going to wrap up fairly quickly from here, since we are now fast approaching the end. but you guys are probably already tired of this fic...XD
> 
> *i think we were all tired of Gabriel, at least*
> 
> as always, tell me what you liked/hated/noticed/loved
> 
> ..i feel like there was something else i wanted to put here but it slipped my mind...ehhh
> 
> see you all next chapter!


	39. Author's Note

Hey guys, so I dunno if y'all didn't get an update notif if you were subscribed or whatnot, but it has been a few days since i posted last chapter, and I do kinda depend on those responses to write the next one, so....?

I know ao3 was down for a lil while, but if that's why nobody was here, just putting this out there...

unless you've actually given up and left this story. Which is fine, too, I'm no one to force my stuff onto people who no longer want to read it.

*shrugs*

also, just so you all know, the end of this story is drawing near. I'd like to have it finished by June, if I can, depending on how fast I decide to pace it and how quickly you guys respond.

thanks for sticking around thus far!


	40. Convenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> stuff starts happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no POV headers this chapter, because...reasons...  
> and...yeah
> 
> also, I saw this post on tumblr that headcanoned Wayem and Lila as cousins and thought, why not?
> 
> er, if I didn't do this well or it didn't flow amazingly or something, please tell me. I suck at writing intense scenes, so, uh, this is still my experimenting and improving phase.
> 
> I have a lot of waffle-rants but I'll save them for when this story is actually finished ;)

Gabriel smiled, and, for once, it didn’t throw the redhead off. In fact, it was the expression that finally broke Nathaniel out of his disoriented state and snapped everything back into focus. This was the man who had victimized countless innocent individuals, brainwashing them into doing his dirty work with a twisted perception of what they were really being forced into. Nathaniel vaguely recalled a voice, angry and threatening, thundering through his head; a flash of agony in his left arm when he’d refused, and his eyes lit up with resolve and determination.

“I will _never_ help you,” he spoke, voice low and trembling with rage. “You’ve been playing me this entire time, but I will _never, ever_ let you get the miraculous.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, but Nathaniel didn’t bother looking as he leapt out of his chair and made it to the door in one stride, throwing it open and dashing through it. He raced down the stairs in no particular direction; just the will to get out of this house and as far away from this psychopath as fast as possible. He could hear the fashion designer’s footsteps chasing after him, then they paused, and Nathaniel realized he had to get out before the security system engaged.

So he kept on running as fast as his legs would take him, quickly calling on his transformation all the while, and skidding to a stop before the front door. The defense system had already taken over the front door and gates; this exit was no longer an option. Paon took a sharp turn around and went sprinting through the dining room, dialling the rest of the superhero squad while he was at it. No one picked up.

Paon cursed softly and tried again. No answer. He growled, selecting the option to leave a message.

“Hey, guys, urgent situation here, I’m stuck at the Agreste mansion-GABRIEL IS HAWK MOTH-get here as soon as you can-”

He was cut off by a flying projectile aimed for his head. Paon dodged it, whipping around as the line cut off and, hopefully, his message sent.

_..._

_So that’s what Hawk Moth looks like..._

A face almost entirely encased in protective metal grinned sinisterly from the other end of the dining table.

“Such a shame; rebelling after everything I did for you...” he chided. “Oh, well, I suppose we have decided upon our opposing sides, after all...”

“You’re wrong; I was never on Hawk Moth’s side to begin with,” Paon bit back.

Hawk Moth shook his head sadly.

“ _Tut tut,_ that seems rather bold of you, especially after you so recently swore loyalty,” he sighed. “But, I suppose, well, if you _are_ going to assume the adverse force, I might as well establish your competence. I do wonder if all that training has paid off, after all.”

“I won’t let you keep hurting Paris like this,” the blue superhero decided.

“Oh, we’ll see about that,” Hawk Moth responded, foreboding.

He held out his cane and drew a sword from within it.

“Let’s see if you’ll _really_ stand in my way.”

***

**Who’s the first one to get Paon’s message?**

***

“And then they’re going to cut the cake at City Hall - remember that one I told you about, the one Papa’s been working on?”

“So _that’s_ what all those little fondant details and icing swirls were for,” Chloe realized. “I thought you just wanted to play around with designs.”

“I wonder how big the cake must be,” Alya wondered aloud. “We spent all day working on just the decorations!”

Adrien nodded along, smiling enthusiastically at the girls’ conversation. Nino poked him and gave him a concerned glance.

“Ladybug,” he said, reading the blond’s mind. Adrien nodded sadly.

“She didn’t even want to stay and talk to me,” he mumbled softly. “I mean, what could be so urgent you can’t even spare a couple minutes for your first and longest partner?”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, bro,” Nino consoled. “Maybe next time she’ll give you some answers, but, hey, look at everything else that’s going well for once. You’ve got an awesome girlfriend, it’s summer vacation, and your dad might actually turn out to be a nice guy!”

“I guess...” Adrien sighed. “I know I sound protective of Ladybug, but you can’t deny she’s been acting really weird lately...”

“Do I sense a hint of jealousy?” Nino asked incredulously. Adrien glared.

“I’m not _jealous,_ I’m _concerned,_ ” he muttered. “Besides, I have a girlfriend...”

Nino shrugged.

“Just try and enjoy yourself today,” he advised.

“I’ll do that,” Adrien agreed, standing up straighter and quickening his pace to catch up with the others. Nino followed.

“What’s this I hear about free food?” he asked to the group at large.

“Adrien, you are literally the heir of one of the richest people in France,” Chloe reminded.

“But nothing beats free food,” he decided. “And I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world because I have a girlfriend whose family has enough to last a lifetime,” he grinned.

“I love you,” Marinette whispered, flushing a little.

“You too,” he responded, leaning in so their noses booped.

But if he was being 100% honest with himself, Adrien wasn’t completely sure he meant it. Not reciprocally of what she felt, at least.

And he hated himself for it.

***

“So what did you think of XY?”

“Meh, must say I prefer Laura Rossignol,” Lila admitted, looking down at her feet. “I honestly don’t see what all the hype is about XY.”

Wayem stopped and put a hand over an imaginary wound on his chest.

“XY is awesome, what are you talking about?!” he expressed. “Laura’s cool, but XY is the real deal here in Paris.”

“Really?” Lila asked skeptically. “Italy clearly has much better taste in music. And anyways, didn’t the last poll decide that the majority of Paris still likes Jagged better?”

Wayem rolled his eyes.

“So my preferences are a bit dated,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while since he was the topic of the bandwagon, but XY’s going to make a comeback, I’m telling you.”

“I’ll believe you when it happens. Bastille Day’s a pretty big deal, here, huh?” she asked.

“Yep. Nice that you got to experience it at least once before you go back to Italy. How did you like France?”

“It’s...nice...” she said. “I made some friends and it’s not a bad place, but the akumas aren’t exactly a highlight.”

“It’s unfortunate you had to come while Hawk Moth’s still in town,” Wayem sighed. “It was really a great place before he showed up - still is, but like, yeah, it isn’t the same with the attacks.”

“I’m still glad you suggested the foreign exchange program, though,” she said. “One global icon crossed off my list of places to travel.”

“It was nice having you around,” he told her. “Even though we’re cousins, we barely see each other more than once every other year.”

“You should come to Italy next time,” she said. “I’m sure my dad would be happy to see your parents after such a long time.”

“I’ll ask if we could maybe come for winter break,” he offered.

They turned a corner, and the Agreste mansion came into view.

“Hey, this is where Adrien lives, remember the guy I told you about? Super famous, blond hair, green eyes, really good-looking-”

“Of course,” Lila rolled her eyes. “I’ve _met_ him. We even studied together at the library once.”

“What?! You never told me you met _Adrien!_ What was it like? Is he that handsome in real life? Is he as nice as they say he is?”

“Maybe, someday, you’ll find out for yourself,” Lila suggested. “Then you can fanboy over him to his face instead of annoying everyone else. Also, he has a girlfriend.”

“If only I could be so fortunate,” he sighed. “On the other hand, girlfriends are temporary. I’ll bet they won’t even be together by the time I finally meet him.”

“Always the fantasizer,” Lila remarked. “Dream on.”

“Touché,” he responded, peering through a thin gap at one edge of the massive steel wall. “Hey, I don’t remember the gates being this guarded before” Wayem noted. “Do they usually look this barricaded, or is Mr. Agreste just that paranoid about trespassers?”

A sudden explosion shook the entire structure and Wayem jumped back, letting out a high shriek. He coughed to cover it up, meanwhile, Lila snickered.

“The heck was that?” he asked, regaining his balance.

Lila shrugged.

“Sounded like a bomb, but the way stuff was going downtown, I’ll bet you those were firecrackers.”

“Who uses firecrackers inside?!”

“This city is already so completely bizarre, I’m not even going to question it at this point. Also, that scream was iconic. I should’ve recorded it,” she sighed regretfully.

“Yeah, no. But really, are they okay?!” Wayem asked worriedly.

“If they’re stupid enough to set off firecrackers indoors, they probably deserve whatever happens to them. Anyways, we should go, at least.”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here before something big explodes,” he agreed, following her quickly.

***

Paon kept his eyes glued to his fan, dodging another lunge of Hawk Moth’s sword. He picked up whatever object was closest to him at the moment and threw it at the supervillain’s face. Hawk Moth easily swept it away from his face with his sword and advanced further toward the blue superhero. It didn’t help that a swarm of butterflies was also chasing Paon, and the extra motion of his to move them away interfered with his concentration on anticipating and evading his opponent’s next move.

Hawk Moth’s movements were sudden, yet calculated, which was probably what threw Paon off. He was used to akumas that, although determined and powerful, tended to attack more by-the-moment and were generally aimed at getting obstacles out of the way towards their goal. This was different. Right now, Paon wasn’t blocking the goal; he _was_ the goal.

Nathaniel had never been the centre of attention, and yet, here he was, the object of Hawk Moth’s total focus and determination. He wasn’t used to being so picked out and targeted, and the fact that he was fairly sure he was alone this time didn’t do much to boost his fighting spirit.

Paon whirled his fan around to open it completely, spinning it so it acted as a shield and obstructed attacks from Hawk Moth’s sword and from the cloud of butterflies that were trying to suffocate his head.

It didn’t help that the man was also a competent fencer; capable of simultaneously knocking away projectiles and jabbing attacks at his adversary. Paon was chucking everything that came into contact with his hand at the supervillain, but his opponent was gaining on him, nonetheless, backing him up into a wall. He wasn’t going to be able to keep this up much longer without backup.

“I’m done with this,” he growled, smacking the butterflies away. “Freeze frame!”

***

Nathaniel should not have done that.

He would soon find out why.

But not before the readers yelled at him for making the most foolish move possible.

***

The butterflies paused, and the whir of the defense system locking went silent, but the attacks didn’t stop. Hawk Moth was still moving, lunging at him as he dodged and jumped out of the way.

Paon frowned, confused, but was then hit by a flash of realization that had him internally smashing his head into a brick wall.

_How could I forget?!_

The effect of his superpower did not apply to miraculous holders.

Well, clearly, there was only one thing left to do before his ten seconds were up.

He sprinted.

He ran with newfound panic, and he definitely wouldn’t be able to feel his legs for a while, but this was a definite flight-or-flight situation and he’d already used up his last chance to fight, so there really wasn’t an option anymore.

Hawk Moth wasn’t following him; knowing the man, he had probably anticipated this outcome from the very beginning, and Paon knew he was going to have to eventually swallow defeat, but right now, the only thing on the blue superhero’s mind was to get anywhere _away from here._

***

His time was up, and his miraculous was giving it’s final telltale beeps when he finally slid under a rapidly descending barrier and found himself locked into a tiny, dark space.

Paon’s transformation gave out and Duusu zoomed out of the miraculous and attempted to phase through the steel, to no avail.

“Great, now we’re stuck,” he groaned, slouching back in disappointment. “I just hope the others got my message.”

“I hate being trapped in small spaces,” Duusu said.

“Me too,” Nathaniel told her. “What are we supposed to do, now? You can’t recharge your energy, and there’s no way out.”

“Wait, I guess?” the kwami shrugged, settling down on the ground.

A sudden voice boomed through the entire mansion - echoing in the small cell, especially - and Nathaniel winced, covering his ears.

“You can run and hide, but this is still _my_ property,” Hawk Moth declared. “My house, my rules. I suppose you really _didn’t_ have the potential I might have hoped for, after all. Such a shame, too.”

Nathaniel rolled his eyes and mentally cursed the man with every word in his surprisingly comprehensive hidden vocabulary.

“But you know, I didn’t _really_ expect much of you, anyway, Nathaniel,” the man said, tone changing to something that sounded almost like... _pity?_

“I’d always figured you’d be expandable in the end.”

Nathaniel froze.

“Ah, yes. Surprising, isn’t it? It’s almost pitiful how blindly hopeful you were; going mad with joy at the mere _prospect_ of having superpowers,” Hawk Moth laughed. “And yes, I did take into account your own insecurity. My boy, you are so _pathetically_ easy to manipulate, I hardly had to try to gain your favor.

“You remember, the time we first met; I assured you that your own lack of presence would become an advantage. Of course, you just accepted my explanation of assisting in maintaining your secret, but really, you never thought even once to consider how impossibly _convenient_ it was for me.”

Nathaniel had gone pale, intently latching on to every word.

“I mean, nobody would question if someone had gone missing if they weren’t even present in the first place, now, would they?”

The redhead’s throat went dry as he stared dead ahead in horror.

_He used me._

**_He used half of Paris, too._ **

_I_ fell  _for it._

**_Anyone would have._ **

_I really am useless._

**_Stop letting his words influence you._ **

_But they’re true._

**_But they’re not._ **

The two voices in his head were at war, and Nathaniel was at the point where he would have been grateful for a third party to come in for him and pick which side to listen to.

Of course, that was what akumas did best, aside from being remarkably capable of infiltrating otherwise inaccessible locations and conveniently colored to go unnoticed in minimally lit areas.

Today was apparently Hawk Moth’s lucky day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nath pls don't succumb to the akuma*


	41. The Final Battle - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we're here, guys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so there are no options because this and the next one are really going to be one chapter (if we're going by the events logic, idek), but i just wrote 4000 (!!!) words, and that's the max i'll do for a single chapter. for now, at least. 
> 
> also because finishing the whole event will take probably forever and more (especially without the nourishment that comments deliver for the writer's inspiration), so i figured i'd give you this so you have something now instead of waiting extra-long.
> 
> you also might notice that i changed the chapter thingy. i'm fairly certain the rest of the story will make up two more chapters, so it's not FINAL, yet, but it kind of is...
> 
> in any case, we are fast approaching the end. hold on tight, peeps!

Nathaniel was vaguely aware of a foreign force invading his mind before everything went blurry and his consciousness fogged.

_ Just let go… _ it urged him. Nathaniel stilled and tried to drive the influences from his mind. His mind only hazily processed a new objective, and he struggled to take back control over the different forces in his body.

**_I won’t_ ** _ ,  _ he responded silently.

_ There’s no other choice… _

**_Not if I cave in, there won’t be._ **

_ You won’t regret it. _

**_I won’t regret anything more._ **

_ You’re nothing without power. _

**_I won’t let you influence me like that._ **

_ You did last time. You tried to fight it, but a flash of reality and you were powerless against it. _

**_That was before._ **

_ And you’ve changed? Don’t fool yourself. You’re weak. _

**_I am...weak...but I won’t let it take over._ **

_ Don’t fight it...embrace it… _

**_I don’t want to…_ **

_ Where else will you go? You’ve illusioned yourself into thinking you have another option. _

**_Only if I give in, I won’t have any options left._ **

_ Without a mask, what are you? Friendless, sans ego, you really are reduced to nothing without another influence, aren’t you? _

**_…_ **

_ Aren’t you? _

**_…I have friends._ **

_ Only behind a secret identity, you can convince yourself that people really do know and care about you. But they don’t know you, do they? _

**_I am not alone…_ **

_ But you are… _

**_Lies._ **

_ … _

**_They_ ** **are** **_lies…_ **

_ … _

**_…_ **

_ … _

**_Aren’t they?_ **

 

***

 

“That was a nice concert,” Rena said, clapping along with the shrieking crowd below. “And we got a nice view, too.”

“Being a superhero comes with so many benefits,” he sighed in agreement. “The sound could have been better, but at least we’re not suffocating down there.”

Rena nodded.

“I should probably go back to the bakery now. Marinette wanted me to help her decide what to wear for her and Adrien’s date later,” she winked. 

“Right,” her boyfriend said. “See you later, then.”

“You too,” she responded, standing up. “Bye!”

Carapace waved at her until she disappeared from sight. It was then that he noticed his bracelet was glowing. The superhero tapped it and was met by a missed call message. He must have missed it in the noise of the concert.

He tapped another icon on the tiny screen and held it to his ear to listen. He listened once, twice, three times, but the message made no more sense than it did the first time. Carapace lowered his arm and dialled another number, praying that the receiver picked up this time.

 

***

 

“...GABRIEL IS HAWK MOTH-”

_ Click. _

“...GABRIEL IS HAWK MOTH-”

_ Click. _

“...GABRIEL IS HAWK MOTH-”

“Stop,” Carapace put his hand over Chat’s, pausing the clicking. Chat stared at him, eyes lost.

“What is this supposed to mean?” he asked. “What does he mean by ‘Gabriel is Hawk Moth’- _ what the hell is he doing at  _ my _ house, _ anyway?!”

Carapace shrugged.

“I don’t know any more than you do, dude. I thought you might have some kind if idea since this seems like it’s more about you...”

Chat shook his head.

“I don’t know if this is some kind of sick joke-”

“Did you go home after City Hall?” Carapace asked.

“No, I ran into Kim and Max and we were going to go to the park after, but then you called...” he frowned. “You don’t really think that-”

“I think we should get the rest of the team together before we investigate. I dunno what’s going on, but it doesn’t sound like we should go until we have reinforcement.”

Chat nodded, eyes darting around. He sighed, dropping his head while Carapace called Rena. He looked up again a few moments later, after they had received confirmation from the superheroine.

“What about Queen Bee and Ladybug?” Chat asked.

“I don’t know how to reach them at this time, and I don’t really wanna bring the entire city into this. Maybe they’ll get the message somehow…?”

“I’m here,” Rena announced a minute later, landing on the rooftop. She glanced at Chat, who was dismally staring at the ground. “What’s up?”

“Did you hear the message?” Carapace asked her.

She shook her head in confusion.

“Which message?”

“Paon tried to call us but we missed the call. He left a message, here,” he tapped his bracelet, and the speaker crackled to life.

_ “Hey, guys, urgent situation here, I’m stuck at the Agreste mansion-GABRIEL IS HAWK MOTH-get here as soon as you can-” _

Rena stared at the communicator, blinking several times. She looked up at Carapace, concerned.

“What?”

“I know. We couldn’t figure out what it meant, either. I mean, what was he doing there to begin with?”

“Beats me...”

Carapace sighed.

“Does Ladybug know?” Rena asked.

“I don’t have her civilian contact information.”

“Me neither. Dang it, secret identities are such a hassle...” she complained, putting her hands on her hips. “So do we wait for them?”

“I guess so...”

***

Ladybug showed up five minutes later.

“I got the call,” she informed them as she landed on the roof. “Where’s Queenie?”

The other four looked at her and shrugged.

“Right here,” Queen Bee touched down quickly. “I saw you guys from the ground. What happened?”

“This,” Ladybug passed her her communicator, and they were all silent as the message played again.

Queen Bee bit her lip, listening, then her eyes widened. She returned the device to Ladybug and turned to face the others.

“Any idea what it meant?” Ladybug asked.

“Apart from the obvious,” Carapace added.

Queen Bee didn’t roll her eyes for once.

“Well,” she started, thinking hard. “I don’t know how he figured out that Gabriel is apparently Hawk Moth...”

The rest of the team looked disappointed.

“We were hoping you might have some idea of why he was  _ at _ the Agreste mansion-”

“Wait,” Queen Bee cut Rena off. She turned around and started to pace.

“Hmm,” she murmured, thinking. “I think I  _ might _ have an idea, but it could very well be completely off the mark and I’m not going to say anything until I know for sure...”

“I honestly don’t think that’s what matters right now, anyways,” Ladybug informed them. “Paon said it was urgent, and I think we should get there ASAP.”

The others nodded.

“Well, then, I passed the mansion on the way here,” Ladybug said. “The defense system is fully engaged, which is why I’m even more suspicious about this whole thing. We should all take the house from different directions. I don’t know if there are any traps or if there’s an ambush waiting for us, but it’s still the best way.” 

She looked around for confirmation, then continued.

“Chat, you take the second floor, right wing. Carapace, you take the front entrance, Rena will come in from the back of the first floor, Queenie can take the third floor, and I’ll take the second floor, left wing. Got it?” They all nodded in accordance. “Good, now let’s go.”

***

The route inwards was incredibly tedious and time-consuming. The mansion was, well, a mansion, and the team like-mindedly cursed the sheer size of the building. It was a maze of hallways and rooms, and since none of the members were all-too-familiar with the place - not even Chat, since Gabriel had forbidden his son from venturing beyond the major wings - it made navigating it all the more challenging.

If that wasn’t nuisance enough, they also had to watch out for traps in unlikely places, or a guard, or something of the sort. Caution came at the huge cost of time, however, and no one managed to exceed a few metres a minute.

However, as vigilant as they might be, the team eventually ended up re-banding as their respective courses all led to the same ultimate destination, the very center of the estate.

Ladybug sighed as they all found themselves in front of the same door.

“So much for splitting up,” she said. “Well, since none of us found anything anywhere else, we might as well face this with full force.”

The other group member looked to her and nodded.

“On my count: three,”

The group squared up.

“Two,”

Ladybug and Chat shuffled back to run forward and kick down the door.

“One,”

They simultaneously leapt forward, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge quickly hopping through the empty space that formerly held a door. Carapace followed in quick suit, and they stood together to face the final boss of a game played far too long.

***

“We meet at last,” a figure smiled. 

Clothed in varying shades of violet and grey, he calmly leaned onto a cane, inspecting the newcomers.

“So it is you,  _ Hawk Moth _ ,” Ladybug countered harshly.

Hawk Moth merely chuckled.

“You really are Gabriel Agreste, then,” she said. “I always had my suspicions...”

“What difference does it make?” he asked her. “In the end, it matters not whether I was the fashion icon of the world, or the next guy on the street. Ultimately, you surrender your miraculous, victory belongs to me, and the rest, as they say, is history. Rather fitting day for it, too,” he added.

“You sure seem awfully cocky for an unarmed guy who needs a cane to support himself outside of whatever landfill you spend all day brooding in, faced by a group of seasoned superheroes,” Rena commented, casually spinning her flute around. “Need a reality check?”

“Please,” he replied. “At best, a band of fanatic teenagers whose limited exposure to bare superpower has clearly gone to their heads. Who’s needs a reality check here?”

“We’re asking the questions here, Mr. Agreste,” Ladybug reminded.

“I have neither confirmed nor denied that,” he said simply.

“You’re changing the topic,” Carapace said. “And you aren’t in much of a position to gain favor. I should remind you, you’re one against five.”

“Wrong on both counts, I’m afraid,” Hawk Moth sighed sadly. “I might bring your attention back to the fact that this is my turf you’re on right now. If anything, you are the ones hopelessly disadvantaged.”

“So you admit it!” Queen Bee said, then frowned. “But, then...what?”

The others turned to look at her, except for Chat, who had suddenly gone unnaturally pale.

“Why are you doing this, Mr. Agreste?” Ladybug asked. “Of all people, why would you become a supervillain and hurt Paris like this?”

“That is not relevant,” he responded brusquely. “Once the miraculous are in my possession, none of this will be relevant anymore.”

“We’re not just going to give them up, if that’s what you’re expecting,” Rena said. “We  _ will _ fight you.”

“I do always prefer to keep my negotiations peaceful,” Hawk Moth shrugged. “You have done little here but spew out a jumble of  _ brutum fulmen, _ why should I have any reason to take you seriously?”

“I don’t know exactly what your powers are, but from what I do know, your main superpower is to give  _ other _ people superpowers,” Carapace said. “If I’m being totally honest, your akumas are both way more powerful and way more threatening than you, and we’ve fought loads of those. Not to be overconfident, but I’m pretty sure this one’s for us.”

“At least you admit your lack of awareness,” Hawk Moth noted. “But really, you have yet to see the full extent of my capabilities. I have been sharpening my blade for some time, as you must very well know, by now.”

“So have we,” Ladybug interjected. “I’ve been out there, defeating akumas and vowing to defeat you, too, someday, since day one. What have you been doing since then, sitting in some musty old room, enslaving little butterflies to do your work?”

“But can your comrades claim the same? The rest of you are still rather wet behind the ears. Your most recent has only been in line for a few months, hasn’t he?”

“Where is Paon?” Queen Bee asked, glaring at him. “We know he’s here somewhere.”

Hawk Moth turned to her with interest. The other superheroes looked at Queen Bee curiously.

“Well, aren’t you concerned about your fine-feathered friend?” he said, an expression on his face that Queenie couldn’t identify.

“Well, given that we are here primarily to find him, why shouldn’t I be worried?” she snapped. “Might as well defeat you while we’re at it.”

“We came here expecting to save two people, but now that one of them is actually our nemesis, we are still short one person of our objective,” Carapace agreed.

“Well, wouldn’t you be surprised to find the truth about your own ally, then. Or shall I say, supposed ally?” Hawk Moth suggested.

Queen Bee blinked.

“Sorry?” she asked in disbelief. “Are you implying that Paon had ulterior motives?”

Hawk Moth raised his hands in mild surrender.

“Why don’t you tell me?” he asked. “Did he not seem to you as if he was hiding something, during your last encounter?”

Queen Bee frowned, thinking.

“He said he was working for someone...someone who gave him some kind of unreasonable job...he seemed pretty upset... _ wait, _ ” she looked up, narrowing her eyes. “How did you know…?”

Then her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth to suppress a gasp of shock.

“You’re not telling me he was...”

Hawk Moth shrugged, emotionless to the effect of the realization on the superheroine. The rest of the team was still staring in confusion, except Chat, who was still numb to the world. Carapace had placed a comforting arm around him, though Chat didn’t seem to register it.

“ _ He was working for  _ you _?! _ ” Queenie asked in incredulity.

“The truth, always such an unfortunate reality to accept,” he murmured, suddenly sympathetic.

“I don’t believe it,” the blonde superheroine whispered. “Is he here? Is he waiting to come help you when we finally fight?”

Hawk Moth shook his head sadly.

“See, unfortunately for him, he chose a rather late time to back down and decide that he didn’t want to keep up his end of the deal. An attempt to rebel...see, I do not take kindly to unfaithful people,” he explained. “And, ah, how unfortunate it ended up for him...”

“What do you mean?” she asked, paling slightly.

“Why don’t you take a look at what happens when someone tries to oppose me?” the man offered. “Who your two-faced teammate really is behind that treacherous mask?”

Queen Bee went silent. Hawk Moth took it as an ambiguous “yes”, and flourished his cane to reveal a small space behind a heavy barrier. No one spoke as the wall moved out of place, but five heads traitorously turned to see the truth for themselves. They didn’t speak for several seconds more until Queen Bee finally managed to find her voice and choke out a few syllables.

“ _ N-Nathaniel?! _ ”

There was no denying it, the figure lying half-unconscious on the floor was undoubtedly the red-haired artist they all knew. Whether or not he was really the secret identity behind the supersona of Paon Royale was still up for debate. At the given moment, however, there was a bigger problem at hand.

Nathaniel was a wreck. His hair was dishevelled and messy, and he was leaning against the wall, slipping towards the ground. Clearly in agony, tears streaming down his face, body curled up as if he was having some kind of harrowing nightmare. He was twitching and trembling and the team could do nothing but stare on in horror.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it? The one you considered among your own, turning out to be-”

“I don’t believe it,” Ladybug whispered angrily, turning to Hawk Moth.

“Pardon?” he asked, patronizingly sympathetic. “Still in denial that you thought he was on your side this entire time?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t believe that he would ever work for you voluntarily. Who in their right mind would ever agree to work for an  _ imbecile _ like you?”

“At this rate, hm...half of Paris?” Hawk Moth suggested. “In any case, he was ultimately inefficient and disposable. Your former ally now serves as a reminder of what happens when people think they can defeat me.”

“Why are you doing this?” Ladybug asked, a hint of desperation in her voice. _ “What could you possibly want so badly that you’re willing to destroy lives in your pursuit of it?” _

Hawk Moth sighed, a gloomy expression passing his features.

“It is a truly difficult thing to grasp, isn’t it?” he said. “After all, how can I justify taking control of countless people and using them for my own goals?”

He looked up, eyes soft and ashamed. Chat Noir suppressed a snarl.

“My son,” the man sad simply.

The group of superheroes blinked at him, taken aback.

“What?” their leader asked.

Hawk Moth nodded morosely.

“It started over a year ago, when Adrien’s mother went on a trip abroad and never returned,” he began. “You have no idea how it affected him. Of course, I must admit, I did have a part in that. In my own grief-driven possessiveness, I bound him to the house where I could never lose him the way I lost Emilie. I did not consider the effects of her disappearance on him, only absorbed in my own loss. Eventually, however, I began to take notice of some things.”

“Yeah, right, you did,” Chat growled suddenly. “Liar.”

He lunged forward to land a blow with his baton, but Hawk Moth smacked him away with his own cane, the length colliding with the black-suited superheroes abdomen. Chat winced in pain as he was thrown against the wall, Carapace quickly running over to help him.

“Adrien’s frustration, it built up. He wanted to rebel. I wanted to hold him close. I did not realize the consequences of my attempts to be a good parent. He craved social interaction and relationships, and I was barring him from that so neither of us would have to go through the same thing again. He went spiralling into loneliness and depression.”

“That’s...awful...” Ladybug said softly, resolve giving way. “But what does that have to do with the miraculous?”

“I wanted to bring her back,” Hawk Moth said. “Don’t you see, we had the ideal family until Emilie’s disappearance. It was after she went missing that everything started to fall apart. I have made so many mistakes, all of which could easily be erased if I could only use the miraculous, just once. If I could just have one more chance to go back and do it over, Adrien and I could start anew. Adrien could have his mother back. Everyone would win.” 

He looked at Ladybug with pleading eyes. 

“Please, Ladybug, give me my son back. Let me give him the father he deserves. You have no idea what he has gone through since the incident, and I assure you, you do not wish to find out.”

“I...” Ladybug’s voice betrayed her thoughts. Chat sensed this and immediately jumped up.

“Don’t listen to him, Ladybug! He’s bluffing-”

“Silence!” Hawk Moth ordered, and Chat froze out of surprise but glared at him nonetheless.

“I never even realized it was so significant for Adrien...” Ladybug murmured, sounding almost...shameful? Regretful? Chat stilled in confusion.

Hawk Moth nodded sadly.

“It really was a tragedy. But we can fix this. With the power of the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous combined, we can finally unlock the true capacity of the Peacock miraculous and set things right.”

Ladybug shuffled her feet, thinking. Then she looked up.

“Would it-would it make Adrien happy?” she asked finally.

“It wouldn’t, Ladybug, just listen, don’t do this-” Chat tried again.

“It would,” Hawk Moth assured her, a strange look in his eye.

Ladybug’s fingers roamed near her ears.

“Ladybug, STOP!”

Ladybug blinked, eyes shining slightly.

“If it’s what’s best for Adrien...”

She sighed, closed her eyes, and plucked off both her earrings. She closed her hand and turned it downward, extending her arm to surrender the jewellery.

Chat gaped as the transformation swept off of her, leaving Marinette, of all people, standing hopelessly, unarmed.

“I’m sorry, Chat,” she whispered under her breath.

But Chat’s mind, not for the first time that day, had ceased to function.

***

First disbelief. He must have had a concussion when Hawk Moth knocked him against the wall.

Next denial. Marinette and Ladybug couldn’t possibly be the same person.

Then doubt. If anything was a possibility…

Consideration. Acceptance.

And, finally, regret.

That he had even considered comparing her to Ladybug.

Which, in retrospect, was not only unjust, but also completely foolish at the same time.

But there were more foolish mistakes in the world.

Like surrendering your miraculous to your archenemy.

***

Marinette had turned to see Chat’s reaction, which was, well, actually pretty unreadable.

That was because Chat was busy in his own head right now.

Pardon, he needed to finish this thought.

***

_ How could I be so stupid?! _

_ She  _ really _ doesn’t deserve me. _

_ And she  _ definitely _ doesn’t deserve her future in-laws. _

_ She probably hates me. _

_ That’s why she’s staring at me with that look on her face. _

_ She’s staring at me. _

_ Oh, shit. _

***

Chat violently jerked back to reality to return Marinette’s gaze. She looked so sad and regretful, Chat wanted to smother her in a hug and tell her it was all going to be okay. Marinette really was unbelievably adorable. But Chat still had to be properly angry at her for giving in to Hawk Moth. Most guys would be angry at their girl if she displeased or disobeyed their family. Oh, the irony.

“Why?” was all Chat could ask.

Tears leaked out of Marinette’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, bowing her head in shame.

“You knew he was lying.”

“I couldn’t help it. Adrien-”

“You really care about him that much?” Chat’s tone softened.

She nodded, eyes downcast.

“Chat, I’m sorry. I know you liked me but I always-”

“No,” he stopped her. 

She looked up, blinking in surprise. Chat closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Carapace watched, a thrill of foreboding running through him. The others just stared, utterly nonplussed.

“Claws in.”

Adrien opened his eyes.

His glace travelled from Marinette, across his teammates, before locking with Hawk Moth’s own shocked gaze. Adrien couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at throwing his father off-guard.

“You lied,” he said angrily. “I was finally coming along just fine, and then you had to come along and ruin everything,  _ again. _ ”

“Adrien...”

“ _ Don’t _ talk to me in that tone,” Adrien glared. “What you’re doing  _ isn’t _ right, so stop lying to yourself and everyone around by pretending everything you do is justified!”

“You can’t tell me you don’t wish she hadn’t gone missing. That the flight had never happened. That she could be here with both of us, a happy family, just like it used to be?”

“That was  _ before _ ,” Adrien emphasized, slashing the air in a gesture of finality. “This is  _ now _ . I’m actually almost  _ grateful  _ it happened. If Mom hadn’t gone missing, I would have never gone to school, made friends, met my amazing girlfriend. In fact, I could even thank you, because if the akumas had never happened, I would have never met Ladybug, never gained my freedom.”

Hawk Moth frowned in disappointment.

“Adrien, I don’t want us to be disagreeing like this-”

“Oh, really?!” Adrien asked hotly. “Just a few minutes ago you were fine with slamming me into a wall, but now that I’m someone you recognize without a mask, you’re suddenly all torn and upset? Just know that it makes no difference to me if you  _ are _ my father or the next guy on the street,” he said, quoting Gabriel’s own words, “you’re still the villain, and that’s not changing. I will still do everything in my power to stop you from getting what you want.”

“Adrien,” Queen Bee started gently.

“I don’t need any of you to interfere,” the teen cut her off. “This is between me and my father. That’s how it started, that’s how it’ll end.”

Hawk Moth turned his head to one side, taking a moment to realize what his son had become. He shook his head disappointedly.

“So you have hit your rebellious phase, then,” he said, frustrated. “Well, then, I’m sorry, Adrien, but I must say the same for you. It matters not whether you are my son or anyone else’s, you are an obstacle in my path, and I must not let you hinder me from my goal.”

And without warning, Adrien felt the wind being knocked out of him as Hawk Moth’s cane swiftly slammed into his chest. He was thrown back onto the ground, a glint of silver flying through the air.

Adrien’s eyes reflexively went to his left hand.

Then to his father.

“Well, well, well,” Hawk Moth grinned. “If today isn’t my lucky day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls point out any mistakes, 4k is too daunting to proofread at this given moment.  
> oh, and no perspective headings, either, because i'm not going back to insert them right now.]
> 
> maybe later, but if you see anything ridiculous, don't hesitate to let me know!
> 
> also, pretty sure i suck at writing intense scenes. was this too badly written for an amateur? if so, i'm sorry!


	42. The Final Battle - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kill me please (:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, this took me some time
> 
> last weekend I was mourning the delay of Reverser, sorry

For a moment, the Earth paused in its orbit. Civilian, superhero and supervillain alike stood still, frozen by some supernatural force. Gazes locked onto that one vital object that they could not afford to lose, lost like candy from a baby.

Victory was Hawk Moth’s, as was apparent to any and every one of the individuals in the room. His smile widened with this realization, but he had yet to discover that he had overlooked one crucial aspect.

He had a pair of earrings in one securely fisted hand, certainly, and a silver ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger to show the world that he had won.

A silver ring.

The utter stillness resumed for another moment as the truth dawned upon all of them, and, as if thrust back into motion by a switch, they all snapped back to attention. All heads turned to Carapace, who was holding something in a death grip, something that none of them could see but all of them could identify.

Hawk Moth’s smile was wiped off his face and replaced by an expression of utmost irritation.

“Little quick to speak there, huh?” Carapace asked in a trivial attempt to lighten the mood, though his mouth was still locked in a grimace. “What kind of horrible parent are you?!”

“That does not concern you,” Hawk Moth said through gritted teeth. “Give me the kwami of destruction and we can leave this all behind us.”

“If you think that for one second your sweet-talking is actually going to _work_ on me, you’re really as hopelessly outmatched as I expected you would be.”

“Fine, I suppose I’ll have to resort to brute force, then,” the man decided, stepping forward threateningly.

“Only if you catch me first,” Carapace informed him, quickly throwing the tiny god to his girlfriend, initiating an ironic game of hot potato.

Hawk Moth’s attention was momentarily diverted, and Queen Bee took this chance to slip behind him while he was distracted.

The game didn’t last long - nobody expected it would - but it went on for just long enough until Rena received Queenie’s subtle signal and Hawk Moth decided he’d had enough.

“Run!” the blonde superheroine told her comrades, and they immediately followed suit, Hawk Moth chasing after them.

Carapace grabbed Plagg and placed him behind his shield, a temporary hiding spot. He sped up to catch up with Rena, and Hawk Moth burst out of the room a second later with his flock of butterflies, slamming the door behind him. Hawk Moth really should have reconsidered the practicality of his supersona’s suit, since the basic style of the outfit turned his pursuit into the epitome of a wild-goose chase.

By the time the group had run three rounds around the perimeter of the house, Gabriel decided that he would add functionality to his list of factors to consider, should he ever continue fashion design after this. He stopped in is tracks while the others sprinted on ahead, supposing that he would catch them some way or other, eventually.

***

The door was locked.

Not that Adrien would have been able to do anything even if it had been open, but he didn’t know how long he was going to have to wait to escape, and claustrophobia wasn’t helping his nerves.

“I’m really, really sorry, Adrien,” Marinette said softly, voice breaking. “You probably hate me for being so stupid...”

Adrien turned to look at her; she had miserably settled down against the wall with her head in her hands. He sat down next to her, abandoning the door.

“If anyone should be sorry, it’s me,” he attempted to console her. “I can’t believe you were right there the entire time!”

“Me neither...so you were really Chat Noir all along?”

“The one and only. And you were Ladybug...”

“It’s just so hard to believe,” she sniffled. “We _flirted_ with each other. We made jokes and i rejected you _so many times..._ ”

“Well, I always figured you’d fall for me in the end,” he winked. “But like, sweet, funny Marinette, and confident, sassy Ladybug...I mean, come to think of it, you _look_ exactly the same, but even now, I never would have guessed...”

“Ugh, you don’t understand,” Marinette groaned. “I had a _huge_ crush on Adrien for the _longest_ time, and meanwhile, I ignored and pushed away Chat’s advances without realizing they were the _same person..._ ”

“You had a crush on _me?_ ”

Marinette nodded glumly.

“Okay, wait, let me get this straight: you, Marinette, alter ego of _Ladybug,_ had a crush on me, Adrien Agreste, son of your arch-nemesis, while I, Adrien, civilian form of Chat Noir, had a crush on you, as Ladybug.” He ducked his head to suppress a laugh.

Marinette looked up.

“You’re telling me, we were in love with each other, _the entire time?!_ And I never even knew about it!” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Well, I mean, to be fair, _you_ were the one who wanted us to keep our identities secret so badly,” Adrien pointed out.

“Yeah, but can you imagine what superheroeing would be like if we _did_ know? I wouldn’t be able to shoot a yoyo straight, and, oh, gosh, what if your _dad_ found out?!”

“Well, he didn’t find out about me, and I live in the same house...wow, he really was dense.”

“Honestly, I think it runs in the family,” Marinette giggled.

“You wound me, m’Lady,” Adrien countered jokingly.

Marinette sighed, leaning back and sinking lower.

“We could have done this so long ago...”

“We could have done a lot of things so long ago. But I guess, everything happens for a reason. If the reveal had happened any earlier, would we still have been here?”

“Wouldn’t that have been a good thing, though?”

“This, specifically, yeah,” he said, gesturing to the room, “but a bunch of other things, maybe not...”

“So what you’re saying is, if we changed one thing from the past, our present could be completely different.”

“Which is why we can’t let my father get away with this,” Adrien finished.

He sighed.

“And now we’re both out of commission. I just hope the others can hold out on their own.”

“Me too. For now, though, I want to go over some things. Like, first of all, you need a better sense of humor...”

***

“Have we lost him?” Rena asked Carapace, both of them slowing down.

“I think so,” he said. “He’s probably just going to try and figure out some other way of getting Plagg.”

“Is that its name?”

“Yeah, Adrien and I actually revealed ourselves some time ago...”

“Nevermind that,” Rena waved off. “Where’d Queenie go?”

Carapace looked around, too.

“Dunno,” he shrugged. “If she tried to get out, maybe we should go too. Before, y’know, Hawky pulls some other trick on us.”

“Let’s do that. Which way do you think she went?”

“No clue, she was behind us, remember?”

“Let’s try downstairs,” Rena suggested, and they both took off down the stairs.

Carapace skidded to a stop at the bottom of the last flight.

“It took me forever to get through here because there were a bunch of traps, and I’ll bet there’s more, here, too,” he cautioned.

Rena nodded, following as they both carefully stepped against the wall. They found Queen Bee in the room to the right, attempting to do something on a screen. She barely glanced up as they came inside.

“Good, you lost him,” she noted.

“Only temporarily,” Carapace reminded.

“So long as he’s not in our faces. I’m trying to override the defense system but I can’t figure this thing out,” Queen Bee complained, jabbing her trompo against it.

“Let me try,” Rena offered. “I might be able to.”

Queen Bee huffed, giving the device a feeble punch before surrendering control to her comrade. Rena quickly took over, deftly tapping an assortment of icons as if she was born for this job.

“Hmm,” she said as the screen filled with a warning message. “So I can hack through the firewall, but the way this is set up, I assuming we’ll have, tops, five minutes before it reconfigures and engages the system again. That’s not including the amount of time it takes to _disengage_ the system to begin with, plus Hawk Moth’s bound to try and stop us from getting away. I’d say the chances of escaping are pretty thin.”

“But we can try, can’t we? At least get _him_ somewhere safe?” Queen Bee gestured to the unconscious form of Nathaniel Kurtzberg that lay by their feet. His breathing was shallow and every so often, his entire body would seize up and release in a shudder.

Carapace glanced at the ragged figure and sighed.

“We have to hide the kwami, too, though. If Hawk Moth gets his hands on Plagg, it’s _really_ over.”

“Who says we can’t save both, though?” Queen Bee asked. “We just have to get through the defenses in time, right? Can’t be that difficult...”

Rena shrugged.

“If you want to get out of here, get ready,” she warned. “Defenses failing in three...two...one.”

Queen Bee snatched up the redhead’s body and dashed to the front foyer, ready to break through as soon as the barriers lifted. Rena and Carapace quickly followed, but it soon became apparent that the front gates were too heavily guarded to let down in time. They ran back to the _atelier_ and tried the windows.

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up...” Queen Bee muttered impatiently as the steel panel took an age to rise.

The moment there was room enough to get through, the three superheroes simultaneously smashed through the window; Queen Bee scooped Nathaniel up and jumped outside. Her wings engaged instantly, catching her before she fell. Her teammates leapt out, too, and the three of them landed lightly, just before the gates. The defenses hadn’t been even slightly affected out here. Rena glanced behind them: sure enough, the steel covering the windows was locked back into place.

“Now, what?” Carapace asked. “It was easy enough to get in, but there’s no platform that we can use to get high enough to get out of here that isn’t already rigged.”

“I can’t fly that high while carrying _him,_ either,” Queenie sighed. “Besides, where are we even supposed to go once we’ve escaped?”

Rena paused in thought.

“Good question...there really aren’t a lot of places we could go without being spotted by civilians...damn Hawk Moth for choosing today of all days,” she groaned. “On top of that, wasn’t there supposed to be that huge kids’ event somewhere near here? How are we even going to leave this place without someone seeing us?!”

Queen Bee shrugged.

“I guess we’d have to de-transfo-”

“No,” Carapace cut her off. “In case one of us gets caught, we can’t risk exposing our identities.”

“So _what do we do?_ ” the blonde emphasized again.

Carapace frowned, looking around until he noticed the structuring on the side of the enormous building. A pipe curled around the stone wall and disappeared into a small opening at the base. The area surrounding the opening looked relatively compromising, and the brick around the hole was crumbling.

“Well,” he started, the others turning to see what he was looking at. “We could always-”

“No,” Queen Bee decided flatly. “We are not using the _sewers._ ”

“No one said it was the _sewers,_ ” Rena pointed out. “But I have to agree. Do we have to go underground?”

“Queen said it herself, _is there really any other way?_ ”

Queen Bee scowled, finally relenting.

“Ughh, fine,” she said, already wincing at the immediate future. “But _only_ out of desperation.”

***

Rena, with some effort, managed to smash away enough brick for the four of them to slip through with minimal scratches. They fell a considerable distance lower than Carapace had previously guessed, finding themselves in the hub of a series of passages. One of them led deep into the house itself, while the remaining three branched out in different directions away from the estate. Carapace enabled a GPS navigator to guide them through one that might take them somewhere helpful, and off they went into the void of the unknown.

AKA, through the sewers.

“Are you absolutely sure this is the right one?” Queen Bee asked, voice trembling slightly with disgust. “Why did we have to take this route?!”

Rena and Carapace ignored her, focussed on navigating the tunnels while carefully watching their step. Queen Bee sighed and decided not to waste her breath anymore until they got somewhere with sufficient oxygen.

***

Thankfully, after only what felt like forever, they found themselves under a trapdoor at the top of an inviting flight of stairs. Carapace knocked the door open, peeking up at the dusty wooden floor of a modest building. He crawled up, the others following. Queen Bee hoisted Nathaniel up and put him down on a mat before standing up to figure out where they were.

“Hey, isn’t this that massage parlor?” she asked in a sudden burst of recognition.

“Yeah, it is. What, you’ve been here before?” Rena asked curiously.

Queen Bee shrugged.

“Yeah, I came here once for something, a long time ago,” she waved off.

“There’s no one around here, thank goodness,” Carapace noted, checking through the windows. “We’re safe.”

“Okay, great. Now, what?” Rena asked.

“Now we can deal with him,” Queen Bee gestured to the redhead, who, now, apart from the ongoing trembling and mumbling, was also covered in a number of scrapes and bruises. None of them major, but the others’ suits had definitely helped them on their journey.

Rena sat down on her knees and turned him over so he was facing up. The flannel moved out of the way just enough enough that they could catch a glint of blue pinned to the shirt underneath.

“He really was Paon, then,” Carapace said softly, joining them. “I wonder what happened.”

Rena gently lifted the pin off and put it away for safekeeping.

“What are you doing?” her bee-themed comrade asked.

“In case he wakes up, just to be safe,” she responded.

Carapace shook his head in disbelief.

“I just don’t understand how he ended up working for HM in the first place. And what he did to him to make him end up like _this._ Gabriel clearly has zero chill.”

Queen Bee didn’t respond. After a long time, she finally spoke.

“To think he was really working against us this whole time...” she said, half to herself, then chuckled ruefully. “It doesn’t add up, but since when has anything?”

“He might be a traitor, but if Gabriel was telling the truth for once, he was on our side in the end.”

“He wasn’t, though,” Rena said. “Obviously he made the whole thing up in an attempt to set us up.”

Queen Bee looked up.

“Was he really?” she asked, voice quiet but dangerous. “Then how do you explain how he was in the mansion in the first place?”

Rena blinked in surprise.

“Come on, Bee, you don’t seriously think he was playing two-faced this whole ti-”

“It’s not that I _want_ to think it,” the blonde cut her off angrily. “He told me himself, just the other day. He _was_ working for someone, the same person who gave him his miraculous. Apparently they were giving him some unreasonable task that he was trying to back out of, but it would cost him his supersona.”

“And you didn’t think anything suspicious of it at the time?” Rena inquired.

“I had my doubts, but I didn’t realize it would come to _this,_ ” the other waved harshly. “Like I said, I don’t _like_ to believe it, but it all fits together so smoothly; I’d be an ignorant idiot not to accept it. Like why he was so defensive of his civilian ego; he didn’t want me making decisions for him - it all makes sense now!”

The superheroine let out a huff of annoyed frustration.

“And here I was thinking that Nath was this sweet, innocent introvert, always hidden in that stupid sketchbook of his...”

“Do you know him in civilian form, too, then?” Rena asked curiously. Queen Bee glared.

“I’ll just stop talking before I expose my own identity, too,” she decided, sitting away from them and resolutely shutting her mouth.

“ _Bee-trayed_ much?” Carapace asked lightheartedly, then winced. Queen Bee glared at him, too. “Sorry, it’s just not the same without Chat around...”

The blonde softened slightly.

“And I can’t even start to imagine what Adrien must be going through right now,” she sighed sadly. “Dad’s a total prick. What gives him the right to treat his son like that?!”

“Or anyone, for that matter,” Carapace added. “Nathaniel doesn’t look that great to me, either.”

Queen Bee glanced over, then away, expression indifferent. Rena sighed in exasperation.

“C’mon Queenie, even if he _is_ a back-stabbing traitor, just look at him! He needs help.”

“It’s just a couple bruises and a bad dream,” the yellow-and-black-suited girl shrugged.

Rena raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“That doesn’t look like just any bad dream,” she noted. “He’s been out of it this entire time, what do you think’s going on?”

“I’m guessing Hawky decided to use some cruel and unusual method of torture on him, but I honestly have no idea. He hasn’t been beaten up or anything...”

“Mental torture?” Rena suggested.

“That’s the only explanation, but how, exactly? It’s not like he can cast Unforgivable Curses and _crucio_ him or anything, is it?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” the fox-themed superheroine said dryly. “But more realistically, what do you think he did? I don’t think Nath is even conscious of his real surroundings at all at this point.”

“Maybe he brainwashed him or something? Like he seemed to have a pretty strong influence on Ladybug and convinced her to give up her earrings...” Queen Bee said. “But I don’t think this kind of condition would be triggered just by words.”

“So he must have used some kind of other external influence,” Rena concluded. She turned to Carapace. “Hm?”

“Hmm...” The superhero was pacing, thinking. “I think we could deduct it down to something miraculous-related, at least...”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, Hawk Moth said his powers are beyond that of empowering other people. Remember when he mentioned ‘half of Paris’ population being willing to work for him. That doesn’t even make sense because who would support him?! And yet, there was an akuma every other day!”

“Your point is?” Queen Bee asked.

“He must have had some way of convincing the akumas to work for him.” Carapace paused. “Has either of you been akumatized?”

“Who hasn’t?” Rena countered.

“Obviously,” Queenie rolled her eyes.

“Do you remember anything that happened? Why you agreed to work for him?”

“All I remember is having a bad headache and my brain being all fuzzy, and the next thing I saw was Ladybug and Chat Noir fist-bumping,” the blonde snapped. “Can we please not talk about being akumatized; it brings back bad memories.”

“Sorry,” Carapace apologized quickly. “But you said your brain went fuzzy? Do you think maybe Hawk Moth controls his akumas’ minds?”

“Honestly, I think it’s the akumas themselves more than anything else,” Rena said. “The butterflies, I mean.”

“I would agree with you.”

Three heads simultaneously turned to the door. An elderly man in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts casually strode in, the door slamming behind him of its own accord.

“It’s you!” Queen Bee all but announced, an almost accusing finger pointed at him.

“If you are referring to me, I am already well aware that I am Wang Fu, thank you for noticing,” he replied calmly.

“No,” Queen Bee repeated. “It’s _you._ ”

“Young lady, perhaps it would help if you were a little less vague when you are trying to convey a message, hm?”

Queen Bee huffed, stomping a foot down impatiently while Carapace and Rena watched on in confusion.

“I, uh, I can’t say I’ve ever met you,” Rena shrugged apologetically.

“Of course you have,” the man named Fu waved off. “I am quite familiar with your secret identities, so there is no need to deny them to me. From each other, however, protecting your secret is a top priority in the given circumstances.”

Rena blinked.

“Oh, uh, okay,” she shrugged. “You’re some kind of doctor, right. Can you help us?”

He had walked over to the chest of drawers at the back of the room and was now collecting a number of small items from within the drawers.

“Uh, Mister Fu...?”

“No, no, I heard you,” he assured her. “I do not have what it requires to heal your friend, but I can aid in the process.”

“Oh?” Rena watched in bafflement as Fu proceeded to dump the ingredients in a rusty sort of pot, then put the pot onto a heating element to...cook?

“But you and your turtle friend will have to leave,” he informed them, mixing the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon he had conjured out of thin air.

“But-”

“No buts. This is urgent, no? Just go outside and wait a little. This shouldn’t take too long.”

“Um, okay,” Rena shrugged, following Carapace out the door.

“So...” Queen Bee started, staring at the door a moment longer before turning back to Fu. “Why am I still here, again?”

“I believe you already know the answer to that,” he told her, pouring some of the pot stuff into a cup.

“Uh...no, sorry...”

“Then it will come to you,” he said, bringing the cup over to her.

“Oh, is that some kind of tea that will heal him? Does it have some kind of ancient supernatural powers, or-”

Fu simply held the cup up over Nathaniel’s face and dumped it.

Queen Bee stared in speechlessness for five whole seconds. As for the redhead himself - the blonde would have sworn that his entire body had _jerked_ back to life.

“What the heck was that?! You could have scalded him! You literally just took that thing off the heat and _dumped_ it on his _face!_ ”

Fu looked up at her indifferently.

“You appear strangely concerned compared to your stubborn disinterest just a short while ago,” he commented.

Then he stood up, crossed the space, and left the room as calmly and unexpectedly as he had entered.

Again, she was left staring at the closed door in confusion, but decided it was better not to dwell on trivial matters in the current status quo.

Nathaniel spluttered, choking and coughing as he forced himself into a leaning-sitting position. He blinked blearily for a few moments before his eyes fully snapped open and he was looking at Queen Bee.

“ _Chloe?!_ ”

Queen Bee went utterly rigid and stared at him until she realized he was probably still a little out of it.

“No, Nathaniel, it’s-”

“No, I _know_ it’s you,” he emphasized, doing little to ease her worries.

“What, what do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

Nathaniel put a hand to his head as if he had suddenly developed an on-the-spot headache, before looking back at her. Something flashed in his eyes and he hastily pushed himself up and away from here.

“I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to figure it out,” he shook his head. “You’re Chloe Bourgeois, aren’t you?”

“How-how did you know?”

He didn’t answer.

“So that’s why you were telling me to stay away from her. _Why?_ ” he asked her, voice mixed with both anger and desperation.

“You’re asking _me, why?_ ” she bit back, his question causing her earlier irritation to resurface. “Why wouldn’t I keep you away from you, you two-faced _traitor._ ”

“I never did _anything_ to you,” he told her, voice low and dangerous.

“You _lied_ to me, you lied to all of us. You’ve been working against us the whole time and you think you can get away with it?! Do you honestly think I’m _that_ stupid that I would never find out?”

“Who the hell were you to tell _me_ what to do?”

“Jeez, if you can’t accept it when a girl needs some personal space, clearly you need a restraining order!” she countered.

“I needed your help,” he insisted.

“For what? So you could get my miraculous and give it to Hawk Moth? Like hell, that’s happening.”

“Always thinking about yourself, aren’t you,” he hissed. “Classic Chloe Bourgeois. A mask doesn’t change who you really are, Chloe. You can pretend you’re everyone’s hero, but behind that fake costume, you’re nothing but a self-absorbed _brat._ ”

“Who are you to say that?”

“And to think that you’d actually had me convinced that you’d redeemed yourself,” he sighed, shaking his head patronizingly.

“Look who’s talking. You’re the one who’s been lying to us the whole time.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly are you talking about?” he asked, temporarily dropping his guard in surprise.

“Wow,” Queen Bee rolled her eyes. “So now you’re denying it. Your tricks won’t work on me, _Paon Royale,_ I am fully aware that you’ve been secretly on Hawk Moth’s side this whole time.”

“I _wasn’t?_ ” he asked, confused. Queen Bee could feel rage bubbling up again.

“ _Liar._ ”

“I’m not lying,” he insisted. “And why are you so mad at me-”

“ _Shut up,_ ” she growled. “You _know_ you sent that call to lure us to Hawk Moth, and guess what, you might be feeling a little bit guilty now that it’s too late, but he has both the miraculous he wants, and the rest of us barely got out with the Black Cat kwami.”

“I didn’t lure you...” he said, clearly still trying to feign confusion and struggle to connect the dots.

“Just stop, okay. Stop it,” Queen Bee sighed in anger. “I’m done with being lied to, so don’t waste your breath. How many more times are you going to lie to me before you get tired of it?”

“I haven’t lied to you even once since we met, in and out of suits,” he said, immediately defensive. “What are you talking about?”

“How many times do I have to spell it out for you?! _You were on Hawk Moth’s side, pretending to be on ours, until the last moment when you knew it was too late and you still tried to save your sorry ass._ ”

“Are you calling me a traitor?!” he asked in disbelief.

“You’re _still_ playing innocent?! I am so done with this, you think this is a game?!”

“If anyone is playing games, it’s you,” he said. “What the hell gives you the idea that I was playing you the whole time?!”

“Oh, jeez, I don’t know, maybe when you _admitted_ you were working for someone suspicious, then we found you at _Hawk Moth_ ’s house?” she suggested, voice dripping with sarcasm, although her tone was veering closer to all-out rage.

He stared at her, eyes narrowing.

“I’m sorry, are you telling me that you’re _accusing me of working for Hawk Moth?!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> truth be told, i have this and the next chapter done, but guess what the word document totalled. 10k. that's right.  
> ten. thousand. words.
> 
> hahaha lmao no way i'm posting that in one go XD
> 
> so the next update should be more timely since it's already done.
> 
> i just didn't want to give you two chapters at once because that's a lot, plus, this way i don't have to stress about updating for a some time :)
> 
> this is still the longest chapter i've posted so far at 4.5k ;)
> 
> see you all next chapter!


	43. The Final Battle - Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> do i even need to explain this?
> 
> basically, we're on the road to the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at 5.6k, this is the longest chapter to date.   
> whew, that was a wild ride to write!

“If I’m not completely mistaken of my own mind and suspicion,  _ yes? _ ” she retorted. Her surprisingly long-lasting patience was becoming very thin indeed.

“I don’t believe you. After all this time, after everything we’ve been through, you’re accusing me of  _ working for Hawk Moth? _ ”

“Are you denying it? Just  _ try _ and explain you haven’t been working for Gabriel for your miraculous.”

“I-I  _ was _ -” Queen Bee’s fist lunged for his face and nearly made a direct hit. “But I had no idea he was Hawk Moth until today!”

“Likely story,” she said, voice threatening. She made another attempt at an attack, which he barely dodged.

“Don’t believe me, huh?” he asked, defensive again. “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to, after all, since when have you ever listened to anything that didn’t favor your preferences?”

“So first you try to pretend you have no idea what’s going on, and then you make jabs at my dignity,” she noted. “You really want to see me rage, don’t you?”

“If that’s how you wanna do this,” he started, voice definitely carrying an edge.

“I’ll go all-out,” she warned, squaring up.

“Please,” he scoffed. “You clearly haven’t seen what I’m capable of.”

They both assumed battle positions, ready to initiate a fight at the slightest stimulus. Chloe would have laughed if she had been watching this between someone that wasn’t her and an another - the power dynamic was clearly uneven. But now that she was the one readying for a brawl, she had to note that Nathaniel didn’t look like he was about to joke around. He looked...not  _ intimidating, _ Queen Bee wasn’t going to cave in to  _ that, _ but his expression definitely made her a little wary. It sparked something else in her memory, something she couldn’t quite place right now.

Just as she was about to make a hit, however, a whoosh of blue came forward in between them, distracting her.

“Please don’t do this!” the blue thing said. Queen Bee stared at it for a moment before recognizing it as a kwami - probably Nathaniel’s.

“Don’t do this, sweetie,” the kwami begged her. “He isn’t in his right mind, I can explain, but you can’t set him off like this!”

“Shut up, Duusu,” Nathaniel told her harshly. “If Chloe Bourgeois wants a fight, I’ll give her a fight. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time...”

The poking at the item in Chloe’s memory intensified, but she was still confused as ever.

Duusu’s eyes were pleading, and Chloe had enough sense to take at least a bit of heed to her words. Though that didn’t stop her from grabbing a nearby phonograph and smashing it onto his head, knocking him out.

“Oh, dear,” Duusu said worriedly. “I do hope you haven’t given him a concussion, his head’s already rather messed with as is.”

“Oh?” Queen Bee asked, anger still keeping her from being completely concerned. The fighter in her was quietly celebrating a K.O. as a first hit, although, to be fair, she was in suit and he was not.

Duusu nodded.

“He’s been fighting with his own head for the past few hours, it hasn’t done his sanity many favors, either.”

***

“Say, how long are we supposed to stay out here?” Rena asked, glancing around. “Maybe we should check back inside, just to be safe.”

A loud smash could be heard from inside.

“Think we should go check that out?” Carapace asked, mildly concerned.

They shared a glance.

“Nah,” Rena decided, leaning further down against the building.

***

“What do you mean - he’s been fighting with his own head?”

Duusu sighed sadly.

“He’s been akumatized,” the kwami said simply.

Queen Bee blinked, glancing at him.

“He doesn’t  _ look _ like a supervillain...” she said dubiously.

“He’s been fighting its influence since he de-transformed after calling your team,” Duusu explained. “His resolve is strong, but those butterflies can do nasty things in your head.”

“They do...” the blonde realized in agreement. “So that’s why he seemed to be having a really bad nightmare or something?”

The little blue god nodded.

“Was it because he tried to rebel?” Queen Bee questioned. “He didn’t want to help him anymore, so he tried to force him to, instead.”

“Anymore?” Duusu looked confused. “Oh, sweetie, he was never on Hawk Moth’s side to begin with.”

Queen Bee gaped.

“He literally admitted to working for Gabriel Agreste,” she said in disbelief. “How can you even deny it at this point???”

“He was legitimately unaware of Gabriel’s secret identity until this morning,” the kwami told her.

“So he wasn’t lying? How do I know that  _ you’re _ not lying?” Queen Bee challenged.

“The man is really influential, Chloe,” Duusu said. “He chooses his words carefully and delivers them in a way that will distort your perception of them.”

“That’s how he convinces his akumas, then?”

“I would think so,” Duusu confirmed. “The Great Guardian would know more than I do, though.”

“But you said Nath was fighting it...why did he get all worked up when Mister Fu revived him, then?”

“I did tell you not to push him over the edge. You could have been the final straw before the darker forces took over completely. Though I’m not sure why  _ you _ would trigger that reaction from him?”

The blonde thought over that for some time.

“Say...” she started after a while of consideration. “If a person is akumatized twice, would the akuma itself be the same? I dunno if that makes sense, but...”

“They seem to target personal weaknesses, if that’s what you mean. The second akuma would likely prey on the same insecurities and negativity that the first one took advantage of. Why?”

Queen Bee looked down regretfully.

“I thought I’d recognized that look in his eyes,” she mumbled. “It reminded me of Evillustrator, I just realized.”

Duusu looked confused. Queen Bee sighed.

“I was responsible for the first time he was akumatized. No wonder he kept calling me a jerk. That wasn’t the real him, was it?”

“It definitely wasn’t. I promise you Nathaniel would have acted and responded  _ very _ differently if he was himself.”

The blonde flushed very slightly despite herself. No need to get carried away by inferring things that hadn’t been suggested in the first place, she reminded herself.

“Where’s the akuma?” she finally asked.

“It was too dark to tell, but from what I could make out, it went straight to him instead of using something else.”

Queen Bee stared.

“You’re telling me, the only way to get rid of the akuma is to get it out from  _ inside him?! _ ”

Duusu nodded apologetically. The blonde shuddered.

“How are we supposed to do  _ that?! _ ”

“Not we,” Duusu corrected, to Chloe’s chagrin. “You. I can’t do anything, and on top of that, my energy hasn’t been replenished yet.”

“So I’m alone, too,” the girl groaned. “Great. Just great. Can’t you help at least a little?”

“I have already told you everything I know. I am unfamiliar with your own capabilities. Can’t  _ you _ do something?”

“I don’t know, my kwami knows the miraculous’ abilities more than I do.” Queen Bee paused, thinking. “Actually, why didn’t I think of that sooner? Pollen, stripes off.”

The transformation rolled off her and Pollen appeared in front of them a moment later.

“How do remotely isolate an akuma?” Chloe asked the bee kwami before she had a chance to speak.

“Only Ladybug can purify akumas,” Pollen reminded. “If you try to isolate it, chances are it’ll just escape and then multiply. It isn’t safe to try anything right now.”

“But we have to get it out before Nath either gives in or goes crazy trying!” Chloe insisted.

“Is it just me, or does her current concern not match up with how she was acting earlier?” Duusu asked. Chloe glared at her.

“I have two priorities on my mind right now,” she snapped. “First is to help Nathaniel, and then defeat Hawk Moth. And I’d rather be getting around to that second one soon, so can we just focus on the task at hand right now?”

Duusu surrendered and floated back. Pollen sighed.

“Anyways, if you really want to help him...”

“Yeah, it’s not like I can crack his head open and get the butterfly out.”

“Well...I suppose we could maybe lock the akuma inside if we can’t take it out...”

Chloe stared at her as if she had suddenly grown another head or a humanoid body or something equally bizarre.

“Lock it in? The point is to get it  _ out! _ ”

“We could cage it so it would no longer affect him, without having to extract the butterfly,” Pollen explained.

“Oh? How would that work?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but your basic superpower should be sufficient. The idea is to essentially seal his mind - like your honey amber - although, there  _ could _ be potential side-effects.”

“Like?” Chloe asked warily.

“For one, he’d be in a coma until we find a way to get the akuma out to decorrupt it, and two, when the miraculous cure undoes it, he might be a little muddled in the head.”

“Not seriously, though?”

“Eh, probably not.”

Chloe looked skeptical.

“The chances of it being  _ really _ major are low,” Pollen assured her.

Chloe still didn’t look like she entirely believed her, but shrugged.

“If there’s nothing else we can do...it’s worth a try, I guess...” she said. “Stripes on, again.”

Pollen disappeared. Duusu flew back forward.

“Are you sure about this? If any harm comes to my Chosen-”

“Don’t worry, if anyone’s going to lose their cool if he gets hurt, it’s me, and believe me, you do  _ not _ want to see that.”

“He had good judgement in choosing you,” Duusu said in an undertone.

“What?”

“Nothing, just get on with it before he wakes up and tries to attack you again,” the kwami waved off.

“Here goes nothing...” Queen Bee muttered, raising her trompo.

***

“Nooroo, I’m losing my link with the redheaded boy. What is the meaning of this?”

“I-I don’t know, Master,” Nooroo cowered in front of him.

“I sent that akuma to properly bring him back to my side. Is everything that works for me really so useless?”

“I’m sorry, sir, did you just refer to me as useless?”

“No, no, of course not, Nathalie, I meant my other min-”

“Well that’s fine because I’ve been reconsidering a number of decisions I have made and I have come to the final decision that I no longer want to work for you.”

Gabriel blinked several times.

“Nathalie, you’ve been in my employment here for almost fifteen years, now you want to leave?”

“You expect me to work unreasonable hours and manage all your business affairs as well as your family affairs since your wife left you. I have been acting as Adrien’s sole responsible guardian given that you spend your entire day locked in that attic, dramatically monologuing and causing every other person who works here to quit because you’re less rational and mature than your own son.”

Gabriel stared, unable to speak for a few moments.

“I’ll visit you in prison,” she informed him, dropping a manila folder in front of him and leaving.

“Why does everyone leave me in the end?” Gabriel asked the butterfly kwami after a few minutes of comprehension.

“I don’t know, Master,” Nooroo said simply, silently hoping that his holder wouldn’t launch into another monologue. He didn’t say it, but Gabriel was really more emo than most of the teenagers he’d akumatized. And that was saying a lot, given that one of them was motivated solely to establish a Hot Topic in Paris and convert all its customers into members of the occult.

***

“Do you think that worked?” Chloe asked as her transformation wore off.

“It is hard to say.” Chloe looked up to see Fu had entered the room once more. “Interesting decision to use your powers to seal his mind.”

“Is that what you did?” Rena asked, walking in after him, followed by Carapace. “Oh,” she said, freezing when she saw Chloe.

“There’s no point in hiding my identity at this point,” the heiress shrugged. “I’m too tired to go with you guys. Plus I should stay here just in case anything happens to him,” she added, pointing to Nathaniel.

Rena and Carapace nodded. The latter gave his girlfriend a long, steady look that Chloe couldn’t interpret. Rena appeared a bit crestfallen, but agreed with whatever he had been conveying to her, judging from their expressions.

“Anyways, enough of this,” Fu declared. “You two have a mission.”

“To defeat Hawk Moth,” Rena affirmed. “I’m not sure exactly what to do, though.”

“It’ll come to you,” Chloe told her, surprising all of them.

“What makes you say that?” the other girl asked.

“You’re one of the most spontaneous people I know,” the blonde pointed out. “You always come up with something on the fly; I’m confident you got this.”

“Wow...that’s...really unexpectedly nice of you, Queen...or should I just call you Chloe now?”

“I may not have a mask on, but really, anything works, I guess,” Chloe shrugged.

“I guess today’s the day we all reveal our identities,” Carapace said jokingly.

“Isn’t it, though? It’s a bit overwhelming, just one reveal after another. Not that they’re  _ surprising, _ but, y’know, having them happen over the course of more than two hours would be a nice improvement.”

“You get what you get,” Chloe told them. “And you two need to get to that mansion.”

“And what about me?” An irritated voice came from some hidden place, and the kwami of destruction popped out from behind Carapace, wheezing.

“Oh, I’d almost forgotten about you,” Chloe said.

“Plagg can stay here while you two save us all,” Master Fu decided, and Plagg reluctantly flew over. The man produced a piece of camembert and gave it to him, after which his mood brightened considerably. Then Fu left the room again, beckoning Carapace to come with him this time.

“Why and where does he keep disappearing off to?” Chloe asked. Rena shrugged.

“Guess it’s just the two of us, then...” she sighed. “There are a lot of ways I imagined the final battle to go, but this really isn’t what I expected at all. I always figured it would be Ladybug and Chat...”

“I know right?”

“In the comics, it’s always the main characters, and yet, here we are...”

“Since when have conventional things ever applied to us, though?”

“True,” Rena laughed. “But now you’re out of commission, Ladybug and Chat have been captured, Paon turned out to be a-”

“Yeah, no, Gabriel actually lied about that bit. Turns out Nath had no idea until today, but then it was too late and he was akumatized.”

“Oh...cause that totally makes a lot of sense...” Rena agreed sarcastically.

“It’s a long story,” Chloe assured her. “But I guess Hawk Moth has some kind of mind powers to brainwash people or something.”

“Oh?” Rena asked curiously.

“Yeah, that’s how he got Ladybug to hand over her miraculous, I’m assuming.”

“I still can’t get over the fact that she was- _ is _ Marinette” the fox-themed superheroine shook her head.

“Me neither...”

There was silence for a few moments.

***

“It’s been far too long,” Duusu sighed. “I’ve missed you so much...”

“I could say the same for you,” Pollen said, taking a sip of lemon-honey tea.

“Let’s just have a tea party and catch up on the last two centuries or however long it’s been since we last knew each other.”

“They are capable young people. They can manage Hawk Moth on their own.”

“And meanwhile, perhaps our own holders will finally admit their attraction to one another,” Duusu giggled.

“Absolutely. Now, tell me more about your adventures with your holder from feudal Japan...”

***

“You know, I hated you so much at first,” Chloe confessed.

“Who didn’t you hate back then?” Rena joked.

“No, I was actually so jealous of you when you first became a superheroine. I had my miraculous and everything, but my kwami wouldn’t teach me how to transform until I was worthy, and you got to Ladybug before me. I hated you so much for that.”

“Because of Ladybug?”

Chloe nodded.

“Wow...and to find out, after all this time, she was really Marinette...” Rena said.

“I can’t believe how deluded I was. Not in liking Ladybug, just being so possessive of her even though I didn’t even know her that well...”

“I guess we all idolized her back then, though,” Rena pointed out.

“Yeah, I just felt like I had to impress her and keep you away from her,” Chloe went on. “Me and Ladybug, defeating Hawk Moth and being the heroines of the city. Now, though, I think you also deserve to be the real heroine. I don’t mind stepping back,” she said. “So long as I had a part in it, I think I’ll be happy.”

“It’s nice to see that you’re not only thinking about yourself,” Rena told her. “But thanks, I appreciate it. Now, if only I knew what to do...”

“That’s also another benefit of stepping back,” the blonde admitted in an undertone.

“Hey!” Rena protested, both of them laughing.

“In all seriousness, though,” Chloe started again, “I have a feeling your powerset could be ideal to defeat HM.”

“I’m all ears,” Rena promised.

“Well, your powers are illusions and hypnosis, right?”

“Right...so I should cast an illusion that we have Plagg to distract him, and then…?”

“Illusions could work, but he knows our battle tactics too well to reasonably fall for that...”

“So?”

“I was thinking...what’s his motivation?”

“He wants to turn back time so he can have a second chance with his family, I think. That’s what he said, right?”

“He could be lying, though...”

The superheroine shrugged.

“But if we go out on a limb and take it as true...what if you hypnotized him into forgetting his motivation?”

“Uh, I can  _ hypnotize _ , not wipe memories...”

“But he’s living in his own illusion, isn’t he? Like Adrien said, he’s so stuck in the past he hasn’t realized how much happier Adrien is even despite it all!”

“So it would be less convincing him that an illusion is real...more convincing him that  _ his own _ illusion is fake...” Rena summarized.

“Exactly!”

“That’s...actually a really good idea...”

“You can pull it off, I know it!”

“Only...where does Carapace fit into this?” Rena asked, frowning slightly.

“Who else is going to get Adrien and Marinette out of there?”

“I dunno...I don’t want to send him off to do something minor while I get to deal with Hawk Moth himself...”

“We have to move,” Carapace said, standing in the doorway. “Hawk Moth just tried to broadcast a message out to Paris. He’d have to take down the defense system so it can get through, so this is our best chance to get in there and do what we need to do, before he gets his message out and the city falls into chaos.”

“Guess it’s time to go, then,” Rena said, standing up.

“Good luck!” Chloe told her.

“Thanks, good luck with your boyfriend!”

“I- _ wha?! _ ” Chloe spluttered indignantly, but Rena had already cheekily waved and left.

***

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I have a general plan of capture involving the police, but obviously we need to defeat and disarm him first,” Carapace answered. “Master Fu made some potion or something that’s supposed to help purify the miraculous from all its negative energy, but, again, we can’t purify his miraculous if he isn’t disarmed.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve got us covered for the attack and defeat part of it,” Rena assured him. “Chloe and I figured I could hypnotize him to throw him off long enough to take his miraculous.”

“Sounds plausible enough,” he shrugged. “You’ll be doing most of the work, though. I’ll have your back.”

“Thanks, could you maybe also check that Mari and Adrien are okay, too?”

“Can do,” he nodded as they reached the mansion. “Just like I told you, he’s disengaging the security system so he can broadcast his supposed victory. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” she said, and they leapt back into the battleground of their final showdown.

***

It was a trap.

Not that either hadn’t been at least somewhat expecting this. Gabriel might have even done it in an contingent last-moment decision when he got wind of the fact that the unwelcome visitors were back in his house without an appropriate gift.

But anyways, the house was locked again and connections to the outside world mostly cut.

The connections within the house itself, however, were fully-functional. Gabriel’s voice echoed nicely all around the mansion, so Marinette and Adrien were conveniently serviced to an audio commentary on what was going on, courtesy of Hawk Moth.

“Two of you are trespassing on private property. I do not know which two, but rest well assured that you are not being welcomed here with open arms. I’m not going to make this easy for you, but if you really want to face me this badly, you’re going to have to find me first.”

Rena shared a quick look with her boyfriend.

“I’ve got your back,” he promised her again, and she just about melted.

The route was not an easy one. A number of traps, each substantially more lethal than the last, had been set up during the time they had been away. Trapdoors, flying darts, pretty much any snare and trick in the book of cliches, only it was not so annoyingly cliche when they were the ones involved. It was like a murderous obstacle course, only it was also a labyrinth and the target was also set against them.

The intent probably wasn’t to  _ kill _ them, but at this rate, that was the most likely outcome.

Anyways, that’s how Rena nearly fell to her death in an attempt to avoid being electrocuted by a mass of charged projectiles. She only just made it out of the way of a trapdoor swinging open beneath her in time.

“Careful,” Carapace reminded her. She rolled her eyes in response.

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” she asked him. “Easier said than done.”

“These traps are a bit excessive, honestly. Any way we could disable them before one of us gets killed?”

“I think there’s a control room somewhere,” Rena said, thinking. “The main defenses are based in the  _ atelier, _ but these must be controlled from somewhere else...”

“Probably where he is...that doesn’t help much,” Carapace said disappointedly. “I’ll just try to shield you as much as I can, then.”

“What about you?”

“You’re the one who’s going to have to defeat Hawk Moth in the end. That makes it my job to protect you,” he decided.

“Thanks,” Rena smiled gratefully.

He nodded supportively and moved closer, ready to shield her from further attacks.

***

Moving through the mansion became much easier after that. Though that didn’t mean it was anywhere near as easy to  _ find _ Hawk Moth. He wasn’t anywhere on the first floor. The second floor was deserted, as were the floors above them.

Rena was close to abandoning their search altogether by their second round around the house to check for any missed spots. He was simply nowhere to be found.

“Where the hell did he go?!” she asked in exasperation when they came full circle back to the front door.

“I..don’t know...” Carapace admitted, equally confused.

“We checked every single floor, every door, nook, cranny, hidden compartment, secret passageway; he just disappeared!”

“We know he’s somewhere here, though, he can’t have left with all that security up- wait, what did you just say?”

“He disappeared...?”

“No, before that.”

“We checked everywhere - every corner and possible hiding place, even the hidden rooms and passages-”

“That’s it!” Carapace exclaimed.

“Secret rooms? But we already tried everything-”

“Not in the basement,” he reminded, excited. “Remember the tunnels? Most of them went in different directions, but one of them went back inside the house. We just ignored it...”

Rena’s eyes widened.

“You don’t think...the passage could lead us right to him..?” she asked, hopeful and doubtful at the same time.

“We already searched the rest of the house from top to bottom. It’s worth a shot, at least, as a final resort.”

“Then what are we waiting for? There’s gotta be some kind of access from inside here, too...”

“Maybe there’s an exposed pipe or something…?”

“Which part of the house was that opening closest to, anyways?”

“I think it was under the  _ atelier, _ actually,” he remembered. “Let’s try there.”

***

Carapace and Rena Rouge didn’t go and carry out the subsequent actions half-assed. They used the unconventional method only with absolute certainty that Ladybug’s miraculous cure would fix the damage in the end.

So it would be a fair warning to advise anyone else  _ not _ to do this.

***

By the time they were done chiseling away enough space to reveal whether or not there was a secret chamber underneath, the wall was more or less completely destroyed.

In vain, too. There wasn’t anything under/behind all that plaster except for a series of solid layers of wood, metal, and brick. And yes, they did destroy enough material to discover this information.

Needless to say, they were most disappointed.

“Are you kidding me right now?! Ugh!” Rena stomped in frustration. She whipped around and start to pace the room aggressively.

“Well, maybe it’s just not accessible from here...” Carapace suggested optimistically.

“Well, if that’s how he wants to it,  _ fine. _ I’ll just sit here waiting for him to come out of his pathetic little hidey hole and face us like a  _ real _ man,” she shook her head, throwing her flute like a javelin in spite.

The flute sailed straight through the air, all the way across the room, surely leaving a gaping hole in the painting on the other side. However, the tip only poked the artwork, a small gap appearing, before it fell down. Rena stalked over to go pick it up when she realized that it had not pierced a hole at all.

“What the...” she said, noticing the small notch in the supposed canvas. It didn’t look like canvas anymore, either.

“What, did you find something?” Carapace asked her.

“Yeah, it looks like some kind of button,” she said aloud, tracing the area with her finger as if it would provide more answers. Instead, the surface sank back in another depression where her fingertip made contact, as if it was meant to fall back from the beginning. And then the square of floor under her feet gave way.

“AH!” she cried out, dropping into whatever abyss lay beneath.

“Rena!” Carapace called after her, running over, but by the time he’d reached the spot, the piece of flooring had slid neatly back into place.

“Rena,” he sighed regretfully, staring down at where she had gone, then looked up. “Well, I guess since she’s gone, might as well go find Adrien and Marinette...”

***

It took Rena Rouge all of five seconds to realize that she wasn’t actually free-falling, that there was a pretty solid platform underneath her, although it wasn’t helping the sickening feeling of a daredevil drop. Then, like a ride at an amusement park, the platform swooped up and she was now accelerating much higher and faster than her stomach could ideally handle.

And then, it stopped altogether, jerking her off as it stopped at its maximum limit.

She took a moment to push herself up, slightly sore from the fall. Whatever room she was in was pitch-dark, and she wasn’t sure if she was stepping on level ground as she stumbled in the darkness. After a few minutes, her eyes adjusted to the dimness, and she could finally make out some vague details in the space.

Like the man standing against the wall.

“Game’s up,” she called out to him. “I found you.”

He huffed and stepped forward.

“Fine, you may have evaded my ploy this time, but you still haven’t won, and I have no intention of letting you,” he informed her.

“Really, well, my gut tells me this is going to be over a lot sooner than you think.”

“It’s really not going be that easy, you know,” he said conversationally.

“Why are you doing this anyways?” she asked, standing up.

“I want to change my present by fixing my past. It’s quite straightforward, really.”

“Why? Why don’t you just accept the status quo and maybe try to brighten your future instead?”

“It has come to a point where it is too late to retain any hope for the future,” he replied. “The only way to set things right is to go back.”

“You’ve got it backwards,” she said. “If you would just open your eyes and see how well everything is working out and how much better it  _ would _ work out if you weren’t so freaking  _ stubborn! _ ”

“You may be the master of deception, Rena Rouge,” he told her. “But you’re only deceiving yourself.”

“Yeah, you’ve  _ really _ got it backwards,” she decided, stepping forward. He did likewise.

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” he sighed, both of them advancing towards one another.

“You’re a bit twisted in the mind, I wouldn’t expect to, either,” she confessed boldly.

“Everything I valued left me in the end.”

“They left because you wouldn’t move on.”

“My son hates me.”

“You’ve been  _ abusing _ him!”

“I have been  _ grieving _ for  _ one year! _ ”

“Get freaking therapy!”

“The only ones who tolerate my presence are my butterflies...” he lamented. Emphasis on the  _ lame, _ in Alya’s mind.

“Just go get a life!” she burst out finally, lunging forward. He didn’t waste a second in drawing a sword from his cane and readying it. 

“Fencing, hmm? Classy, I like it,” he decided, waving the blade casually.

Rena scowled, holding her flute like a sword of her own.

“Fine,” she relented. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Alya Césaire didn’t know how to fence, but, to be fair, Hawk Moth wasn’t all that competent either. Or maybe he was, but as ironic slapstick action scenes go, unconventionality often transcends experience in these kinds of situations.

So while Hawk Moth was probably using the correct fencing maneuvers, Rena was able to hold on her own rather well by smacking his sword away and dodging on reflex.

***

Oh, and there was a whole lot of trivial banter, too. None of which the author is going to narrate because of its sheer frivolousness. But just for the record, there were indeed a number of clever remarks and witty comebacks involved in the exchange.

***

Rena finally succeeded in striking her opponent’s weapon away. 

“Just let me fix my mistakes and we can all begin anew,” Hawk Moth pleaded unconvincingly.

“Or maybe,” she whispered, leaning in and seizing her sole and final chance to take him now, while his guard was temporarily dropped. “I could just make you forget them.”

In a single fluid motion, she swept the brooch from his chest, securing it in her own grip, and brought her mouth to his ear before he could push her away.

“ _ Hypnosis, _ ” Rena called on her power, watching his eyes go foggy in the orange glow illuminating her flute.

*

First she willed him to see. To really open his eyes and realize what his world had become and what he was in it.

Then to understand. To realize his errors. To learn to listen without judgement. To connect to his son and understand from him. So he could realize what he was missing out on and desire to join in on it.

Then came acceptance. That some things must be let go of. You can’t hold onto balloons forever; if you don’t release them, they eventually collapse out on their own.

And, finally, forgetting. Letting go. Slipping away from the grief and the heartbreak and the regrets. Being able to stand up again, free from the heavy burdens of the past, and looking on a new day.

All this, Rena wished him; in the span of a single thought, she connected a thousand ideas and emotions, and she smoothly delivered them within the five seconds she had before Hawk Moth regained a hold on his own mind.

She opened her own eyes and stepped back to watch him respond.

***

He seemed to be in a daze, even after the cloudy orange layer had disappeared from his irises. Alya supposed that this was a good sign that it had worked, and she calmly waited until Carapace returned with Lieutenant Roger of the police department and two officers.

“Monsieur Agreste, you are under arrest for terrorizing the city as well as not keeping this building up to current standards, posing a safety risk for a number of people,” the Lieutenant informed him, escorting him to a police vehicle that was waiting outside.

Adrien and Marinette were waiting on the steps when Alya came outside. Both of them seemed fine at the moment - obviously they were going to need more time to deal, but for an initial reaction, they weren’t doing too badly. Adrien didn’t want to go back to retrieve his miraculous just yet, though Alya assured him that Plagg was safe with Chloe. They didn’t even blink when Alya revealed the identities of the two superheroines, but, she reasoned, they had already had enough surprises for one day.

After a few hours, Marinette was feeling ready enough to go back for her earrings. Nino went with her, since Alya had her own catching up to do with Chloe at Master Fu’s place.

***

Ladybug’s miraculous cure swept through the entire city. Civilians looked around them in confusion and surprise - the swarm of ladybugs left the areas seemingly unaffected - but Chloe and Alya watched out the window in relief, and Adrien managed a small smile at the sight.

For now, it seemed that, for the first time in a long time, Paris was finally at peace.

*******

**As for the real conclusion, what would my lovely readers like to order?**

**A) Cholaon >:D**

**B) Tomato Queen XD**

**C) Chlonath :D**

**D) Queen Pea :)**

**E) Nathloe :|**

**F) Other, if you pick this you are literally a heathen and i both admire and reprimand your audacity**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spoiler alert: options A through E are actually duplicates O-O
> 
> fair notice, there will most likely not be an update next week because of Eid and relatives coming over and stuff...but hopefully the Thursday/Friday/weekend after that is free, so...yeah...
> 
> 'cause i know i suck at regular posting schedules, but I do try to incline towards early weekend updates
> 
> (idk if that even makes sense...if not, just ignore it, XD)


	44. The Grand Finale (and the beginning of something more)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no explanation required

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aieee sorry for the month-long hiatus ;O;
> 
> i'm reallyyy sorry, but so much stuff happened and in between everything I was unmotivated and uninspired and it just wasn't that great ;(
> 
> basically, i had finals, then my relatives were here, plus my beloved phone broke and i had to get a new one (lesson learned - don't get too attached to your electronics) and overall, i just couldn't bring myself to write :O
> 
> but i finally did and lookie! i did it!!!

**CHLOE**

 

There were a number of reasons Chloe had chosen to host the party tonight. For one thing, she’d worked hard to achieve camaraderie with her former classmates before graduation, and she wasn’t going to let one last opportunity to get together go to waste. Also, as exciting as that one week in July might have been, August was painfully boring and she desperately needed something to look up to before the dark and looming premise of lycée consumed her once more.

Of course, waiting until the very end of August - all the way to the last glorious Friday of freedom - wasn’t the conventional time to host a party and lift everyone’s spirit’s, but that’s where what Pollen claimed Chloe’s real reason for this whole thing came in. Chloe, of course, begged to differ. Not because she was in denial - in total honesty, she wasn’t - but because, all factors considered, tonight was the ideal night for one final celebration with the people she’d spent the last four (?) years of her life with, before they parted their respective ways.

But yes, Nathaniel was still a major consideration in all this.

Mostly because, as far as Chloe knew out of her own concern, he’d spent the better part of summer vacation recovering from Bastille Day. Night terrors preventing him from getting sufficient sleep, as well as coming to terms with everything that had happened, didn’t leave a lot of time or energy or will to get out and socialize. And, being the introvert he was, socializing probably would have only drained him even more. Since it was the end of summer vacation and one and a half months since the event, though, Chloe decided it was fairly reasonable to expect him to show up tonight.

If he didn’t, Chloe wasn’t sure what she would have done.

*

Thankfully, that ‘if’ never had to become a real possibility. Nathaniel did come, although he hung back and maintained what seemed like rather pained conversation with anyone who sought him out. Chloe avoided him, choosing to watch him from a distance in a totally non-stalkery way instead. Heavens knew how awkward it would be to start a conversation with him now.

The party was a blast, taken literally after Alix found an unopened bottle of cola and decided to present it to Kim after seasoning it with a certain mint candy. Chloe pitied the horrified maids who rushed over to clean the mess. Kim didn’t mind, not as much as he usually would have, anyway. Even at the peak of partying, everyone’s mood seemed to have been toned down slightly. It was like there was a fog hanging over everything that tinged the atmosphere of the room with the sadness that this was probably the last time some of them would be seeing each other.

After a while of standing away from everything and trying to plan out an appropriate way of initiating and holding up a conversation with the objective of tonight’s event, Chloe was distracted as Sabrina came by to talk.

“You good?” she asked, more as a formality than real concern, since Chloe’s mind was racing with anxiety but her friend couldn’t see that.

Chloe nodded vigorously.

“Never been better,” she shrugged off. “Next week, we’re going to be in high school!”

Sabrina smiled awkwardly in response.

“Kinda wish Lila was here, though,” she mentioned, smile slipping slightly. Chloe turned to her in surprise, mildly taken aback.

“Me too,” Chloe agreed, realizing how much easier it probably would have been to go talk to Nathaniel with the Italian girl’s unconventional encouragement. “Are you enjoying the party?”

Sabrina nodded silently. Chloe peered at her concernedly.

“Are you sure?” she asked cautiously.

Sabrina turned to her, eyes sparkling with tears.

“Sabrina!” Chloe asked in surprise. “What happened?”

The ginger only shook her head and smiled ruefully before taking a small sip of soda from the cup in her hand.

“It’s the last time I’m going to be seeing half of these people again...I’m really going to miss all of you so much…” she mumbled.

Chloe wrapped an arm around her as tears spilled out on her cheeks. She looked down in embarrassment as the blonde hugged her comfortingly.

“It’s okay, Sab,” she soothed, thoughts of Nathaniel vanishing for the time being. “I know we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together this break, but we’ll see each other in the hallways at Astruc, right?”

“I know we’ll see each other again, but what about everyone else?” Sabrina sniffled. “Oh, gosh, I feel so stupid crying like this, I’m being all emotional about not seeing everyon-”

“It’s not stupid,” Rose cut her off. Chloe hadn’t noticed her come over to them, nor had she realized the unshed tears in the shorter girl’s eyes as well. “I’m going to miss you, too, Sabrina. Especially your super-pretty designs in scrapbooking class!”

“You do scrapbooking?” Chloe asked her in surprise. Sabrina nodded.

“I didn’t tell you before because you probably would have teased me for it, but it was a lot of fun,” she admitted, reaching forward to hug Rose.

Now, the old Chloe would have turned away in disgust at the sight of the outpouring of emotion, but the new Chloe took one glance at the two girls tearfully reminiscing before she felt her own eyes watering and a lump forming in her throat. Thankfully, when she looked around, she realized she wasn’t the only one.

“This is the last day of school all over again,” Alix grumbled only half-annoyedly, grudgingly letting Chloe give her a hug. “I still can’t get over how nice you became over the span of like two months. It’s like some kind of miracle or something...”

Chloe glanced over at Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino who were standing to the side nearby, and had to quickly suppress a bout of laughter at their reactions.

It took less than six minutes to reduce all the girls (save Alix) to blubbering masses of tears, ten for the boys. Given, the boys took lengths to preserve their manliness and hold back tears from flowing, but their eyes shone notwithstanding, and Alix could have been teasing them for cracked voices for weeks after this, if she hadn’t tactfully straightened up for this last occasion.

During all this, Nathaniel stood off to the side, awkwardly watching, or maybe he really was engrossed in his phone screen. Chloe took a chance and looked at him as she gave Marinette a farewell squeeze, faltering slightly when he didn’t join the rest of the group. Marinette noticed this and beckoned Alya to come over for an impromptu pep talk.

Five minutes later, Chloe had gathered herself and walked right up to the redhead, the two other girls the only ones watching her - everyone else occupied in remembering iconic moments of the past and laughing and crying in nostalgia. Essentially, it was a private conversation, away from the others.

“He- hey,” she tapped his shoulder gently to get his attention. He blinked, looking up at her, and quickly pocketed his mobile. Chloe took the moment to internally ready herself again.

“Hi,” he nodded back in greeting.

“Uh, how’s your summer been?” she asked.

He merely shrugged.

“Could have been better, but, I mean, Hawk Moth is done and that’s really what matters. You know what happened, of course.”

“Yeah, yeah I do...” she mumbled, cringing on the inside. “I just wanted to make sure, I mean, are- are you okay?”

He frowned, thinking of a response to that. The fact that he even had to think for a response to that made Chloe’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

“Yeah...” he decided finally. “I’m okay. But really,” he mumbled, hand reflexively going to the back of his neck, “I should be the one asking you that. I did, um, attack you, after all...”

Chloe had been hoping it wouldn’t come to this, or at least not in this awkward a way, but oh, well, might as well tackle the topic at hand.

“I’ve been worried about you all summer,” she confessed. “I don’t know what Hawk Moth- what Gabriel did to you, but I could tell you weren’t yourself for sure...are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded in place of words.

“Umm...” he started again, clearly at a loss for how to continue the conversation. If Chloe wasn’t hallucinating in the relative darkness, there was a definite pink crawling up his cheeks. That didn’t help the blonde’s resolve, either, and she fumbled over the words she hadn’t even opened her mouth to say, yet.

“Just wondering...why weren’t you with the others? Just now….too uncomfortable?”

“You could say that...” he chuckled lightly. “I’ve just never been particularly close with any one of them, and especially now after all that’s happened, I don’t know if I should take part…?”

“You sure you’re not a wuss and just scared of crying in front of everybody?” Chloe challenged in spite of herself.

His eyes widened in surprise before he cracked a small smile and laughed.

“Pretty sure, yeah,” he said. “I don’t think I have any tear-worthy memories to share.”

“What about the time you passed out in the aisle because you insisted on giving me your coffee?” she asked.

“You remember that, huh?” he responded.

“I’ll never forget it,” she smirked.

“If I had any doubts that you were Queen Bee before this, I don’t anymore,” he informed her, momentarily cutting her spirit of humor short. Chloe hadn’t been counting on actually bringing their secret identities into this - figuring that Nath would prefer to avoid the subject. But since he was the one who mentioned it, why not?

“Only Paon would counter my remarks with such weak comebacks,” she replied, narrowing her eyes playfully.

“Keep your voice down, I haven’t officially revealed my true identity to the public yet!”

“Neither have any of us!” Chloe reminded. “The only one who got exposed at the speech this morning was Gabriel Agreste.”

“Oh?” He looked surprised. “I figured at least Ladybug and Chat...”

“Yeah, well, in the spirit of good games and all the pranks and stuff they could pull on people if they kept their identities hidden from the public, Adrien and Marinette prefer not to disclose to the city, just yet.”

“If they haven’t, I’d really rather not, either,” Nathaniel said.

Chloe shrugged.

“I don’t think I’d care too much, either way. Paris loves me regardless, and besides, I have bigger secrets to hide at this point,” she said, flipping her hair.

“You didn’t wear it up for once,” the redhead noted. “Your hair...”

“Yeah?” she asked, reaching behind her to pat the back down lightly. “I’m trying a look for lycée. Like it?”

He nodded again. Chloe wondered if the random pauses in conversation were because he didn’t agree or because he just didn’t know what to say.

“You look nice...it suits you...” he mumbled.

“You know, you’d look better with a haircut,” Chloe said thoughtfully.

Nathaniel looked up and if Chloe was hallucinating the blush last time, she was in her right mind this time.

“What do you mean?” he asked. “I’ve had my hair like this for the last four years...”

“Exactly, and for four years you’ve looked like an emo ten-year-old. Sure you’ve grown, but you’d look  _ much _ sexier with short hair,” she told him, then froze.  _ Oh, crap. I just said that. _

Nathaniel coughed, breaking his gaze away from her now-fixed stare of horror.

“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean it- ugh, uhhh...” she trailed off, desperately trying to find some way of correcting herself. Nath’s face was growing to match the shade of his hair.

Chloe didn’t bother glancing back to see Alya and Marinette’s reaction.  _ Time to channel old Chloe, _ and this was probably the only time she longed for her former, arrogantly confident self. She cleared her throat and looked him right in the eye, silencing all panic in her mind with a single command, true Bourgeois-style.

“You know what, I did mean that,” she decided, hoping her tone didn’t sound too arrogant.

Nathaniel blinked at her warily.

“And I’ll understand if you don’t reciprocate, but I made a promise to myself before the end of collège that I would confess to you before we never see each other again. Thing is, I’ve had a crush on you since the end of the school year.”

“Me too...” he responded from somewhere far away.

“Sorry?” she asked, waving a hand in front of his face. She hadn’t broken him, had she?

“Me too,” he repeated, cheeks flaming. “Well, more specifically, your alter ego...at first, at least...” He looked down at the ground in embarrassment, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

When Chloe didn’t say anything, he looked back up to see her raising an eyebrow in skepticism and disappointment, clearly unimpressed. He swallowed nervously.

“If you tell me we literally made another freaking love square, I’m going to throw up,” she said flatly.

“Umm...” Nathaniel looked worried.

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“I suppose I can’t put you at fault for who you fall in love with, and I must say I can’t blame you for becoming enamoured with my  _ fabulous _ alter ego, but  _ seriously?! _ Agh, we’re hopeless to begin with,” she groaned unhappily.

“Er, sorry...” he mumbled quietly.

She looked up at him and glared.

“First rule, no saying ‘sorry’ for things that aren’t explicitly your fault,” she decided.

“ _ Sorry, _ ” he whispered, putting a hand over his mouth immediately after.

“Okay, scratch that,  _ you’re  _ hopeless,” she huffed. The redhead removed the hand from his mouth.

“Good old Chloe,” he shook his head fondly. She softened at that.

“Sorry...”

“Now who’s saying sorry?” he asked daringly, leaning in, and she growled.

“ _ You _ -”

“JUST SHUT UP AND KISS ALREADY!!!” Chloe and Nathaniel both jumped about a foot in the air at the shout of...practically the entire class in sync. Save perhaps Adrien, who smiled encouragingly in Chloe’s direction.

“I, umm...” Chloe was suddenly self-conscious again in the reminded presence of twelve other people.

“Uhh…”

“Er...”

Chloe didn’t even have time to process the next five seconds as they all happened within the single moment she disconnected from reality. She hadn’t moved - no, if she managed to un-freeze herself from this spot in the next two years, she’d be luckier than Ladybug and Chat being on-scene for an akuma attack before it happened.

*

Nothing more than a split-second brush of skin to skin, nothing to prove that anything extraordinary had occurred at all, only her lips tingled slightly as she slowly raised a finger to stop them from buzzing.

*

There was pin-drop silence. Even Nino’s DJ booth coincidentally (conveniently?) decided to freeze for a good ten seconds. And then the room exploded with deafening cheers despite there only being a total of fourteen people (were the waiters cheering too?), and Chloe was being hugged and congratulated even though she wasn’t sure what she’d accomplished. She was floating on a cloud high above Paris, and as the music player started up again, blaring an upbeat love song, she let herself be pushed around without a sense of what was going on. Tonight was surely the best night of her entire lif-

_ “CHLOE!” _

The record needle scratched a second later than it should have, and everyone froze as a new guest stormed into the room.

Chloe stood with baited breath as the scandalized face of André Bourgeois barged in, heading straight for his darling princess.

His eyes flicked from Chloe to every male attendee unlucky enough to be present in the room at this moment, until a terrified waiter pointed out a specific red-haired teen and the Mayor nodded, fuming.

The party dissipated rather quickly after that.

 

***

 

**NATHANIEL**

 

Oftentimes, the biggest and most extraordinary things are the ones that happen the most quickly, popping up unprecedentedly and disappearing back out just as unexpected and untimely. The effects and results remain as evidence, yet the event itself never seems to really stick.

Or maybe that’s just the author speaking for herself, insensitive to the personal experiences of others relevant to this tale. She should probably just stay out of this ordeal entirely. But for the sake of this story, her experiences shall be projected onto Nathaniel so let’s just assume these are his experiences.

*

Normally Nathaniel would have been stressing out the night before the first day of school. This past summer, however, was anything but normal, and in the lightheaded dissociation of this weekend, he’d barely given a thought to school until Monday morning. As far as he was aware at this moment, the party and everything that had taken place on Friday night was a vivid, yet fleeting, dream.

So he really was very surprised when he finally stumbled onto the grounds of his new high school, caffeine and Marinette’s leading hand the only things keeping him up on his feet. He really should not have spent last night watching that new anime until 1 AM if it was going to leave him this groggy the next day. Marinette let go of his hand to text her boyfriend a good luck message, before bouncing off to her own first class of the day.

The moment she left, Nathaniel almost fell backwards as a flash of yellow touched down right in front of him, a glimmering wave of gold radiating off of them before Chloe Bourgeois grabbed him and guided him to a more secluded spot beside the structure.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten about Friday night,” she said sweetly, her challenging smile conveying otherwise. He blinked twice, swallowing.

“Of course not,” he said plainly, though he wasn’t sure if it sounded convincing.

“Wonderful,” she grinned, clasping her hands together. “ _ Chloekins _ is just here to make sure you remember that while you’re here. Lots of girls in lycée, you know - don’t be getting any ideas...” she singsonged, leaning in so it was really more of a threat.

“Impossible,” he assured her in a monotone, still rather half-asleep despite his iced coffee nearing the bottom of the cup. “Besides, why would anyone here fall for me?”

“Oh, you should see the looks the girls gave you after your growth spurt,” she informed him. “And after the haircut I scheduled for you this afternoon, I’m going to have to be very wary of competition.”

“A...haircut…?” he asked, voice distant.

“As your girlfriend, it is my responsibility to ensure you’re presentable. You’re pretty low maintenance as is, but I’m going to help change that,” she promised with a wink. “Anyways, I’ve gotta get to my own school, so we’ll chat later, kay?”

She pulled him in for a quick, five-second kiss before turning around and transforming again, blowing him a second kiss before she rose up and left.

“See you!” she waved, disappearing from view.

Thank goodness there was an inch of iced coffee left in the cup - the brain freeze he achieved from blindly attempting to empty it all in one sip at least jerked him out of the lalaland he’d wandered off to.

Staring after Queen Bee in the direction she had gone, then back to his now-drained plastic cup, then to the building that would be his school for the next three years, there was really only one thing he could be fully certain of:  _ there really is no competition when it comes to Chloe Bourgeois. _

Then he took off at a sprint to locate his classes before first bell rung and he got in trouble for being late on the first day of school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just go directly to the next chapter which is basically me rambling about how emotional blabla i am and also some stuff you might wanna see? just click that 'Next Chapter' button, thanks!


	45. one final author's note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *dies*

i did it

I DID IT

i DiD iT

d,mvnfklvakvfnfankjfn,avjkf

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

this is my first successful multichapter and i finished it

I FINISHED IT

 

every single attempt at a multichapter before this was abandoned after maximum 3 chapters

 

so this is a HUGE accomplishment for me

 

also i definitely improved a lot, and tho i'm still a crappy writer, im a LESS crappy writer now, so hurrah! :DDD

 

it's kind of sad yet relieving to finally let go of this fic that i've been working on for 10(?) months now, but i did follow through from beginning to end and i legitimately could not have done it without you guys

 

when i say this story was written by the readers, im not joking in the slightest. i only had the barest of outlines planned for this, save a couple scenes i knew i really wanted to include (the Twister game), but you guys really drove the story along both with your decisions and your support, so THANK YOU SO MUCH

fun fact: if it hadn't been for the commenters, i had no plan of giving Nath the peacock miraculous at all ;o; and that's only one of the things you guys decided that completely changed the course of the story

 

 **so, to thank you,** i **want to do a sort of story giveaway**

 **yes,** i **know** i've **been behind on my** tumblr **prompts during my hiatus, but** i couldnt **have done anything without your support,** so i **think you deserve it**

 

 **basically,** i'm **willing to do a** oneshot **/drabble for everyone who was involved in this story. so, to be eligible, you had to, at at least one point in this entire fic, have picked an option and** commented **it.**

 **if you've been here since the very beginning or from just two chapters ago, you were involved and** i **appreciate it immensely ;))**

 **that's it. comment if you want a** oneshot **/drabble along with a prompt you want (i'm limiting it to Miraculous but within** that **you have free reign for what you want)**

i'm **not the best writer but** i **want to thank you guys, so** i'm **going to try to do this as best** i **can :)**

 

 

*******

 

 **okay, now for the story itself. You guys probably know that** i **crossposted this on Wattpad since January,** i **think, and** i **changed the formatting of some chapters and stuff. Also, since the story was already partly written, Wattpad readers didn't get the options.**

So i **have two options, and I honestly can't decide:**

**1, reformat in this fic itself, so delete a few chapters, edit out the options, etc. so it's the same work but with alterations**

**2, post a new work with all the formatting adjustments, no author notes, etc. basically a clean slate and the polished version of this**

**thing is, with 2,** i **lose basically everything on this work, including kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. also** i wouldnt **wanna post it all at once, but it would be more polished for sure.**

 **with 1,** i'd **have to delete some stuff (losing comments ;(, but oh, well) but it'd be the same work, with a changed title, some shorter chapters combined into longer ones, and the options would be gone. of course, you could download the story now to have it saved as it is right now.**

 

 **also if** i **went with 2,** im **not sure if** i'd **wanna delete this work altogether, or keep it as an unpolished copy, or whatever.** idk **,** i **need your help, guys!**

 

 **I'm leaving this work up like this** fo **at least a month or so,** so i **can get responses and make up my mind for how** i'm **going to do this, so if you guys want to download the work as is during that time, feel free to do so.**

 

TL;DR, i bolded the parts you should pay attention to (unless you just don't care anymore) and so comment your recommendation for how i should polish this up as well as what you want for your drabble/oneshot ;)

 

A HugE ThANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME UNTIL NOW!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the abundance of typos - i was excited and grammarly probably hates me now XD

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
